aim  mm  tua 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


HANDICRAFT 
FOR  BOYS 


BY 

A.  FREDERICK  COLLINS 

INVENTOR  OF  THE  WIRELESS  TELEPHONE 

Author  of  "  Inventing  for  Boys"  "The 

Boys'  Book  of  Submarines,"  etc, 

WITH  185  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  DIAGRAMS 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1918,  by 
FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 


All  rights  reserved 


T 
Ifco 

8 


TO 

MY  NEPHEW  AND   NIECE 

CLARENCE  AND  MAY  ZEITLER 


A  WORD  TO  THE  BOY 

Your  life,  if  you  live  it  like  the  average  boy,  is 
split  up  into  four  parts  and  these  are  (i)  eating,  (2) 
sleeping,  (3)  working  and  (4)  playing. 

Now  I  haven't  a  word  to  say  about  the  first  three 
phases  of  your  existence  for  you  will  attend  pretty 
well  to  the  eating  and  sleeping  ends,  and  your  elders 
will  quite  likely  see  to  it  that  you  get  enough  work  to 
do  in  and  out  of  school. 

But  when  it  comes  to  playing  I  want  to  edge  in,  for 
this  is  a  very  important  and  often  a  sadly  neglected 
part  of  your  daily  routine.  There  are  three  kinds  of 
playing,  namely  (a)  where  your  mind  only  is  engaged 
as  for  instance  at  dominoes,  checkers  or  chess,  (b) 
where  your  body  is  chiefly  in  action  as  in  gymnastics 
and  outdoor  games,  and  (c)  where  your  mind  and 
body  are  doing  something  more  or  less  constructive. 

This  book  which  I  have  written  for  you  deals 
with  playing  of  the  latter  kind  and  while  I  don't  want 
you  to  get  so  interested  in  any  of  the  various  arts  and 
crafts  described  to  the  extent  of  using  all  your  spare 
hours  doing  it,  still  it  is  a  great  mistake  not  to  have 
a  hobby  such  as  jig-sawing,  printing,  die-sinking  or 
the  like.  There  is  something  tremendously  fascinat- 
ing about  visualizing  things  in  your  brain  and  then 


A  WORD  TO  THE  BOY 

fashioning  them  with  your  hands  and  you  ought  to 
do  it. 

Different  from  other  kinds  of  playing  the  by-prod- 
ucts of  these  arts  and  crafts  last  a  long  time  after 
your  efforts  have  been  spent  upon  them  and  it  is  a 
source  of  great  pleasure  to  look  at  them  once  in  a  while 
and  know  that  you  made  them  with  your  own  hands. 

Not  only  is  there  the  fun  of  planning  and  doing 
the  things  I  have  described,  but  you  will  at  the  same 
time  pick  up  a  lot  of  information  and,  what  is  of  far 
more  value,  your  brain  and  eyes  and  hands  will  learn 
to  work  together  like  a  dynamo  direct  connected  to 
an  engine,  and  then  you  can  depend  on  them  to  serve 
you  well  whenever  the  occasion  may  arise. 

A.  FREDERICK  COLLINS. 
"  The  Antlers," 
Congers,  N.  Y. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    CARPENTRY  WORK  AND  CABINET  MAKING      i 

THE  TOOLS  You  NEED  — THE  KINDS  OF  TOOLS  — 

SOME  HINTS  ON  USING  TOOLS 
How  to  Hold  a  Hammer  —  How  to  Use  a  Saw 
—  How  to  Use  a  Plane  —  How  to  Use  Chis- 
els and  Gouges— . How  to  Use  a  Brace  and 
Bit  — How  to  Use  a  Rule  — How  to  Use  a 
Marking  Gauge  —  How  to  Use  Hand  Screws 
and  Clamps  — How  to  Use  a  Nail  Set  — 
How  to  Use  a  Gimlet  —  How  to  Drive  Nails 
and  Screws  —  How  to  Make  a  Glue-Pot  — 
How  to  Make  Good  Glue  and  How  to  Use 
It 

How  TO  SHARPEN  YOUR  TOOLS 
About  Sharpening  Saws  —  About  Sharpening 
Chisels  and  Plane  Bits  — About  Sharpening 
Auger  Bits 

How  TO  TAKE  CARE  OF  YOUR  TOOLS  —  REMOVING 
RUST  FROM  TOOLS  — To  ETCH  YOUR  NAME 
ON  TOOLS  —  KINDS  OF  WOOD  TO  USE 
Pine ;  Cedar ;  Mahogany ;  Oak ;  Birch ;  Walnut 

How  TO  MAKE  JOINTS 
Edge  Joints  —  Corner  Joints 

ABOUT  WORKING  DRAWINGS  —  THINGS  FOR  You 

TO  MAKE 

How  to  Make  a  Work  Bench  —  How  to  Make 
a  Tool  Chest 

II.    SCROLL   SAWING,   WOOD  TURNING,   WOOD 

CARVING,  ETC 24 

ALL  ABOUT  SCROLL  SAWING 
SCROLL    SAWING    OUTFITS  — A    CHEAP    SCROLL 

SAWING  OUTFIT 
How  to  Use  the  Scroll  Saw 


CONTENTS 

HAPTER  PAGE 

A  FEW  OTHER  HELPFUL  THINGS 
A  Hand  Saw-Table  —  Files  for  Scroll  Work 

—  A  Twist  Drill  Stock  — A  Pair  of  Pliers 

—  A  Small  Hammer  —  Scroll  Saw  Blades 
How  TO  TRACE  A  DESIGN  ON  WOOD  —  DESIGNS  FOR 

SCROLL  SAWING  — FOOT- POWER  SCROLL  SAWS 
The  Cricket  Scroll  Saw  — The  Lester  Scroll 
saw  —  The  Fleetwood  Scroll  Saw 

How  A  FOOT-POWER  SCROLL  SAW  WORKS  —  How 

TO    SAW    ON    A    FOOT-POWER     SCROLL    SAW — 

FANCY  WOODS  FOR  SCROLL  SAW  OUTFITS  — 
TABLE  OF  SCROLL  SAW  WOODS  — TRIMMINGS 
FOR  BOXES,  ETC. 

TURNING  IN  WOOD 
GET  A  LATHE  FIRST 

How  a  Lathe  is  Made 
THE  CHEAPEST  LATHE  You  CAN  BUY 

Attachments  for  the  Companion  Lathe 
TURNING    TOOLS    FOR    WOOD  — How    TO    TURN 

WOOD 

THE  ART  OF  WOOD  CARVING 
YOUR  SET  OF  CARVING  TOOLS  —  THE  BEST  WOODS 

FOR  CARVING  —  KINDS  OF  WOOD  CARVING 
Chip   Carving  —  Panel   Carving  —  Carving   in 

Solid  Wood 

PYROGRAPHY,  OR  WOOD  BURNING 
THE  NECESSARY  TOOLS 

How   to    Make   an    Etching   Tool  —  How   to 
Make  an  Alcohol  Lamp  — A  Better   Outfit 

—  About  the  Designs  —  How  to  Burn  in  the 
Designs 

COLORING  AND  STAINING  WOOD 

Where  to  Buy  Stains  —  Ebony  Stain  —  Fumed 
.       Oak 

III.    METALS  AND  METAL  WORKING 56 

YOUR  KIT  OF  TOOLS  — THE  VARIOUS  KINDS  OF 
TOOLS  — SOME  HINTS  ON  USING  THE  TOOLS 
About  Sharpening  Tools 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

METALS  AND  THEIR  USES 
Iron 

Wrought  Iron 
Steel 
Tin 
Zinc 
Lead 
Copper 
Aluminum 

A  FEW  USEFUL  ALLOYS 
Brass 

Type-Metal 
Pewter 
How  TO  Do  METAL  WORK  —  FIRST  SKETCH  YOUR 

IDEAS  —  SHEET  METAL  WORK 
Cutting    and    Sawing  —  Making    Seams    and 

Joints 

How  TO  SOLDER  METALS 
Fluxes 
Solders 
BOLTS  AND  RIVETS  —  BENDING  SHEET  METAL  — 

FINISHING  Up  METALS  —  COLORING  METALS 
Bluing   Steel  —  Bluing   Brass  —  Giving   Brass 

a  Green  Color  —  Giving  Brass  a  Dull  Look 

—  Frosting      Brass      Articles  —  Lacquering 

Brass    and    Copper  —  How    to    Make    the 

Lacquer 

IV.    VENETIAN      IRON,      REPOUSSE,      PIERCED 

BRASS  AND  PEWTER  WORK     ...     76 

VENETIAN  BENT  IRON  WORK 
THE  TOOLS  You  MUST  HAVE  — THE  MATERIALS 

You  NEED  — WHAT  TO  Do  FIRST 
Making  a  Simple  Design 

How  TO  MAKE  A  TOASTER  — How  TO  MAKE  AN 
EGG  BOILER  — How  TO  MAKE  A  VENETIAN 
PLATE  HOLDER 

A  Dead  Black  Finish  for  Iron  Work 
DOING  REPOUSSE  WORK 
TOOLS  NEEDED  FOR  REPOUSSE  WORK  — How  to 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

PREPARE  THE  WORK  — TRACING  THE  DESIGN 
—  BOSSING  THE  WORK  —  How  TO  MAKE  A 
FLAT  CANDLESTICK  —  How  TO  MAKE  A 
PHOTO  FRAME 

Cleaning    and    Polishing   Metal    Work  —  Fin- 
ishing, Coloring  and  Lacquering  Metals 
PIERCED  METAL  WORK 
THE  OUTFIT  TO  Do  IT  WITH  —  How  TO  Do  THE 

WORK 

CASTING  AND  WORKING  PEWTER 
SOMETHING  ABOUT  PEWTER  —  How  TO  MAKE 
PEWTER  — ABOUT  WORKING  PEWTER  — How 
TO  CAST  PEWTER  — THE  PATTERNS  NECES- 
SARY—MAKING THE  MOLD  — FINISHING  THE 
WARE 

ENGRAVING  ON  METAL 

THE  TOOLS  THAT  ARE  USED  — How  TO  ENGRAVE 
ON  METAL 

V.    DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED 103 

FREE-HAND  DRAWING 

TALENT  VERSUS   PRACTICE  —  PICTURES   FOR  You 
TO      DRAW  —  SIMPLE      LINE      SKETCHES  — 
SKETCHING  SIMPLE  OUTLINE  FIGURES  —  THE 
PROPORTIONS  OF  THE  HUMAN  FIGURE  — How 
TO   DRAW   FACES  —  SKETCHING    STILL   Lira 
OBJECTS  —  DRAWING  IN  PERSPECTIVE 
The  Vanishing  Point 
How  TO  SHADE  A  DRAWING 
WORKING  DRAWINGS 
DRAWING  TOOLS   You   SHOULD  HAVE  — SIMPLE 

WORKING  DRAWINGS 

Making  Plain  Drawings  —  Isometric  Perspec- 
tive Drawings 

SOME  SIMPLE  AIDS  TO  DRAWING 
How  TO  DRAW   A   CIRCLE  —  How  TO  DRAW  A 
SPIRAL  —  How  TO  DRAW  AN  ELLIPSE  — How 
TO  MAKE  AND  USE  A  PANTAGRAPH  —  HoW 


CONTENTS  xiii 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

TO  MAKE  A  REFLECTING  DRAWING  BOARD  — 
How  TO  MAKE  TRACINGS  — To  MAKE  LAST- 
ING IMPRESSIONS  — THE  ANCIENT  AND  HON- 
ORED ART  OF  CUTTING  SILHOUETTES  —  TRANS- 
FER PICTURES  OF  DECALCOMANIA 
How  to  Transfer  the  Pictures 

VI.    SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY 131 

How  TO  MAKE  BLUE  PRINTS 

The  Materials  Required 
ANOTHER  KIND  OF  CONTACT  PRINTING 
To  Tone  and  Fix  the  Pictures  —  Receipt  for 

a  Combined  Toning  and  Fixing  Solution 
THE   SIMPLEST  KIND  OF  A   CAMERA  — How   TO 

DEVELOP  A  DRY  PLATE 
How  to  Make  the  Developer  —  How  to  Make 

a  Fixing  Bath 

A  GOOD  AND  CHEAP  CAMERA  — How  TO  MAKE 
AN  ENLARGING  APPARATUS  —  How  TO  MAKE 
AN  ENLARGEMENT 
A  Developer  for  Bromide  Paper 
How  TO  MAKE  A  REFLECTOSCOPE 
How  to  Use  the  Reflectoscope 
How  TO  MAKE  A  MAGIC  LANTERN 

How  to  Work  the  Lantern 
How  TO  MAKE  LANTERN  SLIDES  —  How  TO  MAKE 

RADIUM  PHOTOGRAPHS 
TRICK  PHOTOGRAPHY 

SPIRIT  PHOTOGRAPHS  —  ONE  WAY  TO  CATCH  BIG 
FISH  —  TAKING  CARICATURE  PHOTOGRAPHS 

VII    PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     ....  157 

KINDS  OF  PRINTING  PRESSES  —  THE  PARTS  OF  A 

SELF-INKING      PRESS  —  How     THE      PRESS 

WORKS  —  SIZES   AND    PRICES   OF    PRESSES  — 

THE  OUTFIT  You  NEED 

Outfit  for  a  3x5   Press  —  Outfit  for  a  5x8 

Press  —  Outfit  for  an  8  x  10  Press 
ABOUT  TYPE  AND  TYPE  SETTING 
Relative    Number    of    Type    Letters  —  Styles 


xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

of    Type  — The    Parts    of    a    Type  — The 
Sizes    of    Type  — Table    of    Type    Sizes  — 
Your  Type  Cases  —  Setting  the  Type 
MAKING  READY  —  PRINTING  THE  JOB  —  How  TO 
CLEAN  TYPE  —  ABOUT  DISTRIBUTING  TYPE  — 
THE  INK  AND  ROLLERS  —  PRINTING  IN  COL- 
ORS—  PRINTING    IN    GOLD  —  AND    FINALLY 
YOUR  STOCK  SUPPLY 
THE  ART  OF  PAPER  MAKING 
WHAT  PAPER  Is  — How  TO  MAKE  PAPER 
Making  the  Pulp  — The  Molds  You  Need  — 

Laying  the  Paper 
SIZING  AND  FINISHING 
How  TO  BIND  BOOKS 

Making  the  Cover  — Sewing  the  Book  — Put- 
ting on  the  title 

VIII.    RUBBER   STAMPS,   DIE   SINKING,   BURNING 

BRANDS  AND  STENCILS 183 

RUBBER  STAMPS 
How  TO  MAKE  RUBBER  STAMPS 

The  Materials  Needed 

MAKING  THE   MOLD  —  VULCANIZING   THE   RUB- 
BER —  MOUNTING  THE  RUBBER  —  How  TO  USE 
A  RUBBER  STAMP 
How  to  Make  an  Ink  Pad 
How  TO  MAKE  RUBBER  STAMP  INK  —  How  TO 
MAKE  A  COPYGRAPH  PAD  — How  TO  COPY  A 
LETTER  —  How  TO  MAKE  HECTOGRAPH  INKS 
DIE  SINKING 

How  TO  MAKE  BADGES,  NAME  PLATES,  ETC.— 
How  TO  SINK  THE  LETTERS  —  FINISHING  UP 
THE  BADGE 
BURNING  BRANDS 
How  TO  MAKE  A  BURNING  BRAND 
How  to  Use  the  Burning  Brand 
STENCILS 

How  TO  CUT  STENCILS 
Cutting  Paper  Stencils  —  Cutting  Brass  Sten- 


CONTENTS  xv 

HAPTER  PAGE 

cils  — How  to  Use  Practical  Stencils  — 
How  to  Make  Stencil  Ink  — How  to  Use 
Decorative  Stencils  —  Mixing  Colors  for 
Stenciling  Borders 

IX.  THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS 202 

WHAT  GLASS  Is  —  How  TO  CUT  GLASS  —  How 
TO  USE  A  GLASS  CUTTER  — How  TO  FINISH 
OFF  GLASS  EDGES  —  How  TO  DRILL  HOLES  IN 
GLASS  —  A  COUPLE  OF  WAYS  TO  CUT  GLASS 
TUBING  —  How  TO  CUT  GLASS  DISKS  — 
How  TO  BEND  GLASS  TUBING 
What  a  Bunsen  Burner  Is 

How  TO  BLOW  GLASS  — To  ROUND  THE  ENDS  OF 
TUBES  — To  BORDER  THE  ENDS  OF  TUBES  — 
To  SEAL  ONE  END  OF  A  TUBE  —  To  MAKE 
A  GLASS  NOZZLE  —  To  MAKE  A  HOLE  IN  A 
TUBE  —  To  JOIN  Two  TUBES  OF  THE  SAME 
SIZE  —  To  JOIN  A  TUBE  TO  THE  SIDE  OF  AN- 
OTHER TUBE  —  To  BLOW  A  BULB  ON  THE 
END  OF  A  TUBE 

How  to  Make  a  Blowpipe  —  How  to  Blow  a 
Bulb 

How  TO  ETCH  GLASS 

The    Sand    Blast    Process  — How    to    Make 
Ground  Glass  — The  Acid  Process 

How  TO  CEMENT  GLASS  —  A  SIMPLE  WAY  TO 
FROST  GLASS 

SUBSTITUTES  FOR  GLASS 
Mica 
Gelatine 

How  TO  SILVER  A  MIRROK 

X.  TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 227 

How  TO  MAKE  A  POLICEMAN'S  PUZZLE  — How 
TO  MAKE  AN  AUTOMOBILE  TRUCK  —  How  TO 
MAKE  A  SWELL  COASTER  — How  TO  MAKE 
A  NIFTY  WHEELBARROW  —  How  TO  MAKE  A 
HIGH-LOW  SWING  —  How  TO  MAKE  A 
STICK  HORSE  — How  TO  MAKE  A  PONY  AND 


xvi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

CART  —  How  TO  MAKE  A  LIFE-LIKE  GOOSE  — 
How  TO  MAKE  A  DANCING  SAMBO  —  How 
TO  MAKE  A  WIRELESS  PUP 

XI.    HOME  MADE  MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS    .     .  252 

THE  MUSICAL  COINS 

How  to  Make  Them  — How  to  Play  Them 
THE  MUSICAL  TOMATO  CANS 

How  to  Make  Them  — To  Play  the  Musical 
Tomato  Cans 

THE  MUSICAL  GLASSES 
How    to    Make    Them  — How    to    Play   the 

Glasses 
THE  TUBULAR  HARP 

How  to  Make  It  — How  to  Play  the  Harp 
THE  MUSICAL  PUSH  PIPE 
How  to  Make  It  —  How  to   Play  the  Push 

Pipe 
THE  CURIOUS  XYLOPHONE 

How  to  Make  It  — How  to   Play  the  Xylo- 
phone 

THE  PECULIAR  TUBAPHONE 
How  to  Make  It  — How  to  Play  the  Tuba- 
phone 

THE  CATHEDRAL  CHIMES 

How    to    Make    Them  — How    to    Play    the 

Cathedral  Chimes 
THE  AEOLIAN  HARP 

How  to  Make  It  — How  the  Wind  Plays  It 
AN  EGYPTIAN  FIDDLE 

How  to  Make  It  —  How  to  Make  the  Bow 

XII.    SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     .     .     .274 

CARTOONS  WHILE  You  WAIT 
Drawing  the  Cartoons 

THIRTY  MINUTES  OF  CHEMISTRY  —  THE  MYSTIC 
GLASS  OF  MILK  — THE  MAGIC  FOUNTAIN  — 
THE  Vicious  SOAP  BUBBLES  — THE  UN- 


CONTENTS  xvii 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

CANNY    WHEEL  —  GIVING    A   TRAVELOGUE  — 
AN     ELECTRICAL     SOIREE  —  DEMONSTRATING 
ELECTRICITY  WITHOUT  APPARATUS 
The  Electrified  Papers  —  How  to  Electrify  a 

Person  — How  Like  Repels  Like 
MAKING  EXPERIMENTS  WITH  APPARATUS 
The     Induction,     or     Spark     Coil  —  Demon- 
strating Wireless  Telegraphy 
READING  PALMS  FOR  FUN 

How  to  Read  Palms 
A  TALK  ON  THE  STEAM  ENGINE 

Making  the  Model  Engine 
How  THE  ENGINE  WORKS 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

A  Model  Engine,  Showing  the  Principal  Working 

Parts Frontispiece 

Some  Useful  Wood  Working  Tools 3 

A  Few  More  Common  Wood  Working  Tools 5 

A  Clamp  Often  Comes  in  Handy 7 

How  Edge  Joints  Are  Made I? 

How  Corner  Joints  Are  Made 19 

An  Easily  Made  Work  Bench 20 

A  Wood  Vise  for  Your  Work  Bench 21 

A  Carpenter's  Tool  Chest 22 

The  Tray  for  Your  Tool  Chest 23 

A  Simple  and  Cheap  Sawing  Outfit 25 

The  Right  Way  to  Use  a  Hand  Scroll  Saw 27 

A  Hand  Scroll  Saw  Table 28 

Some  Necessary  Scroll  Sawing  Tools 29 

Mechanical  Masterpieces  Made  With  a  Scroll     Saw  ...  31 

The  Cheapest  Foot-power  Scroll  Saw  Made 32 

The  Lester  Scroll  Saw  with  Turning  Lathe  Attachment    .     .  33 

The  Fleetwood  Scroll  Saw 34 

The  Chief  Parts  of  a  Turning  Lathe 37 

The  Cheapest  Wood  Turning  Lathe  Made 39 

A  Set  of  Wood  Turning  Tools 41 

Putting  the  Rough  Wood  in  the  Lathe 42 

The  Right  Way  to  Hold  a  Wood  Working  Tool     ....  42 

Sizing  the  Turned  Work 43 

Kinds  and  Sweeps  of  Carving  Tools 45 

Markers  for  Stamping  in  Backgrounds 46 

Schemes  for  Holding  Work  When  Carving 46 

Kinds  of  Carving 48 

A  Carved  Watch  Case  Holder 49 

The  Tool  Used  for  Pyrography 52 

xix 


xx  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

An  Outfit  that  Burns  Benzine  Vapor 53 

How  the  Tool  is  Heated S4 

Burning  in  the  Design S4 

The  Chief  Metal  Working  Tools [58 

Some  Other  Metal  Working  Tools 59 

How  Metal  Seams  and  Joints  are  Made 70 

Materials  You  Need  for  Venetian  Iron  Work 77 

A  Useful  Bent  Iron  Toaster 79 

How  to  Make  an  Egg  Boiler 80 

An  Artistic  Venetian  Plate  Holder 81 

A  Sconce  for  a  Candle 83 

How  to  Hold  a  Repousse  Hammer 84 

A  Punch  and  Punch  Designs  for  Repousse  Work    ....    85 

How  to  Hold  a  Repousse  Punch 85 

A  Repousse  Candlestick 87 

A  Repousse  Photo  Frame 89 

The  Tools  You  Need  for  Pierced  Brass  Work 90 

A  Pierced  Brass  Candle  Shade 91 

A  Pierced  Brass  Toast  Sign 93 

Iron  Ladle  for  Melting  Pewter 95 

How  a  Pewter  Casting  is  Made 96 

Home  Made  Pewter  Ware 98 

Tools  for  Engraving  on  Metal 99 

How  to  Hold  a  Graver 100 

An  Engraving  on  a  Sheet  of  Copper 101 

A  Simple  Line  Drawing  of  a  Man  and  a  Horse     .     .      .     .104 
A  Simple  Outline  Drawing  of  a  Boxer  and  a  Race  Horse     .   105 

The  Proportions  of  the  Human  Body 106 

A  Full  View  of  the  Face 107 

A  Profile  View  of  the  Face 108 

The  Vanishing  Points  of  a  Perspective  Drawing    ....  109 

How  to  Find  the  Vanishing  Point no 

The  Vanishing  Points  Put  to  Use in 

The  Drawing  Tools  You  Need 112 

The  T  Square  and  Triangle  on  the  Drawing  Board     .     .     .114 

The  Plan  Drawing  for  a  Box 115 

The  Box  Drawn  in  Isometric  Perspective 1 16 

How  the  Lines  for  Isometric  Drawings  are  Made  .     .     .     .117 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xxi 

PAGE 

A  Sheet  of  Isometric  Drawing  Paper 118 

The  Proportions  of  an  Isometric  Ellipse 119 

How  to  Draw  a  Circle  with  a  Thread 120 

How  to  Draw  a  Spiral  with  a  Thread 121 

How  to  Draw  an  Ellipse  with  a  Thread 123 

How  a  Pantagraph  is  Made  and  Used 122 

How  a  Reflecting  Drawing  Board  is  Made  and  Used  .  .  .  123 
A  Lasting  Carbon  (Soot)  Impression  of  Your  Hand  .  .  .125 
Silhouettes  of  Your  Great-Grand-pa  and  Great-Grand-ma 

(When  They  Were  Young) 127 

A  Photo  Printing  Frame 131 

An  Easily  Made  Pin-hole  Camera 135 

The  Pin-hole  Camera  Complete  with  Cloth  and  Rubber  Bands  137 

Two  Cheap  and  Good  Cameras 139 

A  Home-made  Enlarging  Apparatus 141 

A  Home-made  Enlarging  Apparatus 143 

A  Home-made  Enlarging  Apparatus 144 

A  Cheaply  Made  Reflectoscope 145 

A  Cross  Section  Top  View  of  the  Reflectoscope     .     .     .     .146 

The  Reflectoscope  Ready  for  Use 147 

The  Parts  of  a  Home-made  Magic  Lantern 149 

The  Magic  Lantern  Ready  for  Use 150 

A  Photograph  of  a  Coin  Made  with  Radium 152 

One  Way  to  Catch  a  Cod 155 

How  Caricatures  are  Made 156 

A  Model  Self-inking  Printing  Press 159 

An  Outfit  for  a  Model  Press 162 

The  Parts  of  a  Type 165 

How  the  Type  Cases  are  Arranged 167 

The  Upper  Case 168 

The  Lower  Case 168 

How  to  Hold  a  Composing  Stick 169 

Putting  a  Stick  of  Type  in  the  Chase 170 

Tools  for  Locking  Up  a  Chase 171 

A  Frame  for  Paper  Making 177 

How  to  Cut  Boards  and  Cloth  for  Book  Binding    .     .     .     .179 

Sewing  on  the  Muslin  Flap 180 

The  Bound  Book  Complete 181 


xxii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

The  Matrix  Frame,  Chase  and  Boards  for  Making  Rubber 

Stamps 184 

The  Type  in  the  Chase.     Plaster  of  Paris  Impression  in  the 

Matrix  Frame 186 

The  Matrix  with  the  Rubber  Gum  in  Place  Ready  to  Vul- 
canize        187 

The  Rubber  Stamp  Ready  to  Use 188 

Pulling  an  Impression  from  the  Copygraph 191 

First  Steps  in  Making  a  Badge 192 

The  Badge  on  a  Flat-iron  in  a  Vise.     Sinking  in  the  Letters  193 

Steel  Letters  and  Figures  for  Die  Sinking 194 

Last  Steps  in  Making  a  Badge 195 

A  Burning  Brand  of  Iron  or  Copper 197 

Stencil  Letters  and  Stencils 199 

Glass  Cutters 204 

The  Right  Way  to  Hold  a  Diamond  Point  Glass  Cutter     .     .  205 

How  to  Cut  a  Pane  of  Glass 205 

A  Cutter  for  Glass  Tubes 207 

A  Circular  Glass  Cutter 208 

Kinds  of  Bunsen  Burners 210 

Bordering  the  End  of  a  Tube 211 

Sealing  Off  the  End  of  a  Tube 212 

How  to  Make  a  Hole  in  a  Tube 212 

Welding  Two  Tubes  Together.    Making  a  T  Tube  .     .     .     .213 

A  Regular  Blow-Pipe 214 

Cross  Section  of  a  Home-made  Blow-pipe 215 

The  Glass  Blowing  Arrangement  Ready  to  Use 216 

A  Regular  Foot  Bellows 217 

First  Steps  in  Blowing  a  Glass  Bulb 218 

Making  a  Thick  Ring  of  Glass 218 

Last  Step  in  Blowing  a  Glass  Bulb 219 

Part  of  the  Apparatus  for  Sand  Blast  Etching 220 

Sand  Blast  Apparatus  Put  Together  Ready  for  Etching    .     .  221 

Etching  Glass  with  Acid 223 

A  Policeman's  Puzzle,  or  Now  Will  You  Be  Good  ....  228 

Plans  for  the  Automobile  Truck 229 

The  Automobile  Truck  Ready  to  Run 230 

Plans  for  a  Swell  Coaster .  231 

The  Coaster  Ready  to  Ride  On 232 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xxiii 

PAGE 

Plans  for  the  Nifty  Wheelbarrow.    The  Barrow  Ready  to 

Wheel 234 

Plans  for  the  High-low  Swing 236 

The  Swing  Ready  to  Swing  Low,  Swing  High 237 

Ride  a  Stick  Horse  to  Banbury  Cross 238 

Plans  for  a  Pony  and  Cart.  The  Pony  and  Cart  When 

Done 240 

How  the  Life-like  Goose  is  Made 241 

Goosie,  Goosie  Gander,  Where  Shall  I  Wander 242 

The  Dancing  Sambo 243 

The  Mechanism  of  the  Dancing  Sambo 244 

The  Wireless  Pup,  the  Slot  in  the  Floor  of  the  Dog  House  245 

The  Back  End  of  the  Dog  House 246 

The  Spanker  with  Electric  Solenoid  Control 247 

Cross  Section  Side  View  of  the  Wireless  Pup  Ready  for 

Action 248 

The  Front  End  View  of  the  Wireless  Pup  House  ....  249 
When  You  Call  the  Wireless  Pup  or  Clap  Your  Hands  He 

Comes  Out  of  His  Dog  House  in  a  Hurry 250 

The  Musical  Coin 253 

How  to  Hold  the  Musical  Coin  to  Spin  It 254 

The  Chopin  Tomato  Can 255 

The  Musical  Glasses 257 

The  Harp  of  a  Thousand  Thrills 258 

How  to  Play  the  Harp 259 

Parts  of  a  Musical  Push  Pipe 261 

How  the  Push  Pipe  is  Played 263 

A  Xylophone.  The  Bars  are  Made  of  Wood 264 

A  Tubaphone.  The  Bars  are  Made  of  Metal  Tubes  ...  265 

The  Cathedral  Chimes 266 

The  Harp  of  Aeolus 268 

Plans  for  an  Egyptian  Fiddle 271 

How  the  Bow  is  Made 272 

How  the  Fiddle  is  Played 273 

How  an  Easel  is  Made 276 

First  Principles  of  Cartooning 278 

Three  Simple  Cartoons  that  You  Can  Do 279 

The  Oracle  of  Amor,  or  Are  You  in  Love? 280 

The  Mystic  Fountain 282 


xxiv  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Making  Hydrogen  Chloride  Gas 283 

The  Vicious  Soap  Bubbles 285 

The  Uncanny  Wheel 287 

The  Electrified  Papers 291 

A  Simple  Wireless  Demonstration  Set 294 

Cross  Section  of  the  Coherer  Showing  Its  Construction  .  295 
The  Parts  of  the  Hand  Named  According  to  Science  ...  296 
The  Parts  of  the  Hand  Named  According  to  Palmistry  .  .  298 
Working  Drawings  for  the  Demonstration  Steam  Engine. 

Cross  Section  Side  View  of  the  Engine 302 

End  View  of  the  Engine.  The  Crank  Shaft.  The  Rocker 

Arm 304 

Top  View  of  the  Engine 306 

The  Steam  Engine  Ready  to  Demonstrate 3°9 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


CHAPTER  I 

CARPENTRY  WORK  AND  CABINET 
MAKING 

DID  you  ever  think  about  what  you'd  do  if  you  were 
shipwrecked  on  a  tropical  island  like  Robinson  Crusoe  ? 

Well,  if  you  had  a  good,  strong  pocket-knife  with  you 
it  wouldn't  be  so  terribly  bad  and  in  a  few  months' 
time  you'd  have  fashioned  all  the  things  you'd  need  to 
furnish  a  three-room  palmetto  bungalow. 

To  be  sure  your  furniture  wouldn't  be  very  highly 
finished  but  it  would  be  awfully  artistic  and  while  in 
a  civilized  community  it  might  be  looked  upon  as  a 
rare  exhibit  of  savage  workmanship,  it  would  serve 
you  nobly  and  well  in  your  island  home. 

But  you  don't  have  to  be  marooned  on  a  lonely  isle 
or  limited  to  the  use  of  a  jack-knife  to  show  your 
prowess  as  a  worker  in  wood.  All  you  need  to  do 
is  to  get  some  out  of  the  way  room  where  there  is 
plenty  of  light  for  a  workshop  and  buy  a  few  good 
tools  to  work  with  and  you'll  take  as  keen  a  pleasure 
in  making  useful  things  with  your  own  hands  as 
Robinson  Crusoe  did. 

l 


2  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

The  Tools  You  Need. —  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  go 
out  and  buy  a  cheap  chest  of  tools  of  whatever  size 
for  while  there  is  always  a  large  number  of  tools  in 
it  they  are  usually  of  a  very  poor  quality. 

If  you  can  afford  to  buy  a  chest  of  good  tools  and 
will  get  them  of  a  regular  tool  supply  house  you  can 
then  buy  a  chest  of  tools  safely.  Now  to  make  any 
ordinary  piece  of  woodwork  you  don't  need  many  tools 
but  each  one  should  be  the  very  best,  for  therein  half 
the  pleasure  lies. 

The  Kind  of  Tools. —  The  tools  used  for  cabinet 
making,  as  the  finer  kinds  of  joinery  are  called,  are  ex- 
actly the  same  as  those  used  for  carpentry  though  they 
are  usually  kept  a  little  sharper  and  there  should  be  a 
few  more  of  them. 

All  the  tools  you  will  need  at  first  are  shown  in  Figs. 
i  and  2  and  these  are  ( i )  a  cast-steel,  adze-eye,  bell- 
faced  hammer  1  weighing  about  9  ounces,  which  is  a 
regular  carpenter's  hammer.  (2)  A  mallet,  made  of 
hickory,  with  a  2^  inch  face  and  try  to  get  one  in 
which  the  handle  goes  clear  through  the  head  and  is 
wedged  in. 

(3)  Four  saws,2  namely  (a)  a  16  inch  crosscut  saw 
—  usually  called  a  handsaw  —  which  is  used  for  saw- 
ing off  boards  across  the  grain,  (b)  a  20  inch  rip-saw, 
for  sawing  with  the  grain  so  that  a  board  can  be  sawed 
lengthwise,  (c)  a  back  saw  or  miter  saw  as  it  is  some- 
times called;  it  is  about  12  inches  long  and  has  about 

1  The  Ohio  Tool  Company  makes  good  hammers. 
2Disston  saws  are  the  kind  to  get. 


THE  WAY  TO  SAW  A  BOARD 


c 

SAWING7)FFASTRIP  WITH  A 
BACK  SAW  AND  MITER  BOX 


6 
A  C#RP£HTEK5  HAMMER. 

AND  HOW  TO  HOLD  IT 


WHERE/)  COMPASS  SAW 
COMES  IN  tt/MDY 


HOW  TO  HOLD/1  SMOOTHING PUME 


0F/RMER  CHISEL  IN  USE 


FlG.    I.     SOME   USEFUL    WOOD   WORKING   TOOLS 

3 


4  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

20  teeth  to  the  inch  so  that  it  makes  a  very  fine  and 
smooth  cut  (d)  A  compass  saw;  it  has  a  narrow, 
tapering  blade  about  10  inches  long  and  is  used  to  cut 
out  holes  in  boards,  and  to  cut  disks,  or  wheels  of 
wood.  The  blade  of  a  keyhole  saw  is  thinner  and 
narrower  than  a  compass  saw  and,  hence,  smaller  holes 
and  shorter  curves  can  be  cut  with  it  than  with  a  com- 
pass saw. 

(4)  A  miter  box  (pronounced  mi'-ter)   is  a  little 
trough  of  wood  formed  of  a  bottom  with  two  sides 
screwed  to  it  but  without  a  top  or  ends.     The  sides  of 
the  box  have  saw-cuts  in  them,  or  kerfs  as  they  are 
called,  at  angles  of  45  and  90  degrees  so  that  strips  of 
wood,  molding  and  the  like  can  be  sawed  accurately 
across,  or  mitered,  to  make  a  corner  joint. 

(5)  Three  planes  3  and  these  are  (a)  a  block  plane 
for  small  light  work;  (b)  a  smoothing  plane  which  is 
a  little  longer  and  has  a  handle  and  is  set  fine,  that  is 
the  bit,  or  blade  is  finely  adjusted  for  finishing  work; 
and  (c)  a  jack-plane,  which  is  a  large  plane  used  for 
planing  off  rough  surfaces. 

(6)  Three  chisels,4  or  firmer  chisels  as  they  are 
called.     These  are  regular  flat,  bevel-edged  carpenter's 
chisels  and  the  blades  should  be  ^,  %  and  l/2  inch 
wide,  respectively. 

(7)  Three    gouges,5    or    firmer    gouges,    to    give 
them    their    full    name.     These    gouges    are    simply 

8  I  like  Stanley  planes  the  best. 

4  Buck  Brothers  are  noted  for  their  chisels. 

6  Buck  Brothers'  gouges  are  also  good. 


BORING  A  HOLE  WITH  ft 
BRACE /MD  BIT 


THE  SCREWDRIVER  AND 
HOW  TO  USE  IT 


HOW  THE  TRY  SQUARE 
IS  US  ED 


A  NAIL  SET  AND  HOW 
TO  HOLD  IT 


K 
UStNQA  MARKING  GAUGE 


THE  RIGHT  WAY 

TO  SHARPEN  A  CHISEL 


FlG.   2.     A   FEW    MORE   COMMON    WOOD   WORKING   TOOLS 


6  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

chisels  with  curved  cutting  edges  so  that  a  rounded 
groove  can  be  cut  in  a  board.  Get  them  with  blades 
having  J4,  ^  and  j/2  inch  regular  sweep,  as  the  curve 
of  the  cutting  edge  is  called. 

(8)  A  brace  and  five  auger  bits.6     A  brace  and  bit, 
as  you  know,  is  a  tool  to  bore  holes  in  wood  with. 
You  ought  to  have  five  bits  and  get  them  %,  %e,  %, 
YIQ  and  l/2  an  inch  in  diameter. 

(9)  A  maple  or  a  boxwood  rule;  this  should  be  a 
regular,  2-foot,  four  fold  carpenter's  rule.     (10)   A 
marking  gauge;  the  bar  of  the  gauge  is  graduated  in 
i6ths  of  an  inch  and  the  adjustable  head  of  one  good 
enough  to  work  with  is  fitted  with  a  brass  thumb  screw. 

( 1 1 )  An  iron  bound  try-square  with  a  6,  or  better, 
a  Q-inch  blade.     This  is  used  not  only  to  make  meas- 
urements with  but  to  try  whether  a  thing  is  square  or 
not,  hence  its  name. 

(12)  Two  screw  drivers,  one   for  small  and  the 
other  for  large  screws.     (13)  Two  double  cut  gimlets, 
one  %  and  the  other  %e  inch  in  diameter;  these  are  use- 
ful for  making  holes  for  starting  screws  and  the  like. 

(14)  Four  hand  screws,  or  clamps  as  they  are  more 
often  called ;  these  are  made  of  wood  and  are  used  to 
clamp  two  or  more  pieces  of  wood  together  when  they 
are  being  bored  or  after  they  are  glued.     The  jaws 
should  be  about  7  inches  long  and  they  should  open 
at  least  4  inches  wide.     They  only  cost  a  quarter 
apiece. 

(15)  A  nail  set;  this  is  a  steel  punch  for  driving  the 
6  When  you  buy  auger  bits  get  the  genuine  Russel  Jennings. 


CARPENTRY  WORK  7 

head  of  a  nail  below  the  surface  of  the  wood  without 
denting  it. 

(16)  A    Washita   oil-stone   is   the   right   kind   to 
sharpen  wood-working  tools  on ;  a  stone  l/2  or  fy  mcn 
thick,  2  inches  wide  and  4  or  5  inches  long  will  be 
large  enough  and  you  should  make  a  box  with  a  cover 
to  keep  it  in  and  so  protect  it  from  the  dust. 

(17)  A  sewing  machine  oil  can  filled  with  sewing 


r  \\ 


M 

THE  H/WD  SCREW  IN  USE 


FlG.  2M.     A  CLAMP  OFTEN   COMES  IN   HANDY 

machine  oil,  or  any  other  good,  light  lubricating  oil, 
is  needed  for  sharpening  your  tools. 

( 18)  A  small  can  of  Le  Page's  liquid  glue,  or  if  you 
want  to  make  your  own  glue  then  get  a  glue-pot  and 
brush.  You  can  buy  a  %  pint  can  of  liquid  glue  for  a 
quarter  or  less,  or  you  can  buy  a  cast  iron,  water- 
jacketed  glue  pot  which  holds  a  pint  for  about  40 
cents.  Get  a  small  round  bristle  brush  for  a  glue 
brush. 


8  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Some  Hints  on  Using  Tools. —  Since  I  have  used 
tools  ever  since  I  was  old  enough  to  hold  a  hammer  I 
can  easily  tell  you  just  how  you  should  handle  them 
but  to  become  a  skilled  workman  you  must  be  willing 
to  do  the  rest  and  that  is  to  practice. 

How  to  Hold  a  Hammer. — When  you  use  a  ham- 
mer, grasp  the  handle  a  couple  of  inches  from  the  free 
end  and  hold  it  so  that  it  will  swing  freely  and  easily 
in  your  hand  and  keep  your  hand  and  wrist  above  the 
level  of  the  nail  or  whatever  it  is  you  are  pounding; 
this  takes  the  jar  off  of  your  arm  and  makes  the  work 
of  using  it  surer  and  less  tiresome.  Never  use  a  ham- 
mer on  wood-work  of  any  kind. 

When  you  use  a  mallet  as  for  driving  chisels  hold  it 
rather  close  to  its  head,  and  need  I  tell  you  never  to 
use  a  wooden  mallet  to  drive  nails  with. 

How  to  Use  a  Saw. — Hold  the  wood  to  be  sawed 
with  your  left  hand  —  I  am  taking  it  for  granted  that 
you  are  righthanded;  put  all  of  the  fingers  of  your 
right  hand  through  the  hole  in  the  handle  of  the  saw 
with  your  thumb  on  the  other  side  and  grip  the  handle 
firmly. 

To  start  the  saw  put  it  on  the  mark  where  you  want 
to  saw  the  board  and  rest  your  thumb  against  the  side 
of  it  to  guide  and  steady  it.  Stand  so  that  your  eye 
will  look  down  the  back  of  the  saw  and  don't  hold  it 
too  straight  but  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  that  is  half 
way  between  the  horizontal  and  the  vertical.  Of 
course  this  does  not  apply  to  a  back  saw  or  a  keyhole 
saw. 


CARPENTRY  WORK  9 

How  to  Use  a  Plane. —  Since  a  smooth  plane  has 
no  handle  lay  your  right  hand  over  the  tail  of  it  and 
rest  your  left  hand  on  the  nose  of  it.  Make  short, 
quick  strokes,  pressing  down  on  the  plane  as  it  goes 
forward  and  letting  up  on  it  a  little  as  you  draw  it 
back. 

A  jack-plane  has  a  handle  on  it  something  like  a 
saw-handle  and  it  is  held  like  a  saw  with  your  right 
hand.  If  there  is  no  knob  on  the  nose  of  it  hold  it 
by  laying  your  left  hand  across  it.  When  using  a 
jack  plane  give  it  a  long  stroke  with  even  pressure  and 
you  will  take  off  the  same  thickness  of  shaving  all  the 
way  along. 

How  to  Use  Chisels  and  Gouges. —  To  hold  a  chisel 
properly  when  cutting  a  groove  grip  it  a  couple  of 
inches  below  the  top  of  the  handle  with  your  left  hand. 
Hold  it  with  the  beveled  edge  down  from  you  and  at 
a  slight  angle  from  the  horizontal  when  making 
grooves,  and  at  a  slight  angle  from  the  vertical  when 
cutting  a  mortise.  Gouges  are  used  in  the  same  way 
as  chisels. 

How  to  Use  a  Brace  and  Bit. —  Set  the  sharp 
pointed  end  of  the  bit  on  the  exact  spot  which  is  to 
be  the  center  of  the  hole  you  are  to  bore.  Hold  the 
top  handle  of  the  brace  with  your  left  hand  and  the 
crank  handle  with  your  right  hand.  Have  the  top  of 
the  brace  and  the  bit  in  a  line  with  your  eye  and  after 
you  start  to  bore  sight  the  bit  on  both  sides  of  the  hole 
you  are  boring  to  see  that  it  is  plumb  —  that  is  straight 
up  and  down. 


10  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

How  to  Use  a  Rule. —  A  carpenter's  rule  is  two  feet 
long  and  divided  into  inches  which  are  sub-divided 
again  into  8ths  and  i6ths  of  an  inch.  In  making 
measurements  for  joinery  use  the  rule  accurately  or 
you  will  have  misfits. 

How  to  Use  a  Marking  Gauge. —  This  is  a  useful 
device  to  mark  off  one  or  more  parallel  lines  on  a  board 
when  one  edge  of  it  is  straight. 

The  head  slides  on  a  wooden  bar  near  one  end  of 
which  is  a  steel  point.  The  bar  is  graduated,  that  is,  it 
is  spaced  off  in  inches  and  fractions  of  an  inch  like  a 
rule  and  this  makes  it  easy  to  set  the  head  at  any 
distance  from  the  steel  point. 

When  you  have  set  the  gauge  hold  the  head  against 
the  edge  of  the  board  you  want  to  mark,  press  the 
steel  point  against  the  surface  and  draw  the  gauge 
along  with  both  hands  when  the  point  will  scratch  a 
line. 

How  to  Use  Hand  Screws  or  Clamps. —  Put  the 
pieces  of  wood  that  are  to  be  held  together  between  the 
jaws  of  the  clamp  and  screw  each  screw  up  a  little  at 
a  time  so  that  the  jaws  are  kept  even,  that  is  parallel. 

How  to  Use  a  Nail  Set. —  A  finishing  nail,  that  is,  a 
nail  having  a  head  only  a  shade  larger  than  the  shank, 
is  used  for  the  finer  kinds  of  woodwork.  After  you 
have  driven  in  a  nail  until  its  head  is  within,  say,  % 
inch  of  the  surface  put  the  small,  hollow  end  of  your 
nail  set  on  it,  hold  them  together  with  your  thumb 
and  forefinger  and  drive  it  in  by  hitting  the  nail  set 
with  your  hammer.  After  the  head  is  sunk  below  the 


CARPENTRY  WORK  11 

surface  of  the  wood  fill  in  the  hole  with  a  wood  filler"1 
when  neither  the  nail  nor  the  hole  can  be  seen. 

How  to  Use  a  Gimlet. —  A  f ter  you  have  started  a 
hole  with  a  gimlet  give  it  a  complete  turn  and  then  half 
a  turn  back  each  time,  for  by  so  doing  it  will  be  far  less 
liable  to  split  the  wood.  Moisten  the  point  of  the 
gimlet  and  it  will  go  in  easier. 

How  to  Drive  Nails  and  Screws-. —  Put  a  little  com- 
mon brown  soap  on  the  ends  of  nails  and  screws  before 
you  drive  them  in  and  you  will  find  that  it  greatly 
lessens  the  friction. 

How  to  Make  a  Glue-Pot. —  In  these  days  of  pre- 
paredness it  is  easier  to  buy  ready  made  glue  than  it 
is  to  make  it  yourself;  moreover  it  is  just  about  as 
cheap,  nearly  as  good  and  certainly  far  less  trouble. 

If  you  insist  on  making  your  own  glue  though,  you 
must,  first  of  all,  have  a  glue-pot  of  the  right  kind  to 
make  it  in.  As  I  have  already  mentioned  a  glue-pot  is 
made  of  two  pots  one  inside  the  other.  The  outside 
pot  is  half  filled  with  water  and  the  inside  one  contains 
the  glue. 

You  can  improvise  a  glue-pot  by  using  a  tomato 
can  for  the  outside  pot  and  a  pepper  or  mustard  can 
for  the  inside  pot.  While  it  won't  look  quite  as  shop- 
like  as  the  kind  you  buy  it  will  work  just  as  well. 

How  to  Make  Good  Glue  and  How  to  Use  It. —  To 

7  To  make  a  wood-filler,  melt  I  ounce  of  white  resin  and  I 
ounce  of  yellow  wax  in  a  pan  and  add  enough  ochre,  which  can 
be  had  in  any  color,  to  give  it  the  color  of  the  wood  you  are 
using.  Stir  it  well  and  fill  the  dent  while  hot.  This  filler  sticks 
well  to  the  wood  and  when  dry  is  very  hard. 


12  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

make  good  glue,  put  some  small  pieces  of  genuine 
Peter  Cooper  or  imported  French  Coignet  glue  into 
the  inside  glue  pot  in  enough  water  to  cover  it.  The 
outer  pot  is  set  on  a  fire  and  the  water  in  it  is  brought 
to  a  boil.  Stir  the  glue  until  it  is  all  melted,  when  it 
should  be  about  as  thick  as  sewing  machine  oil.  Skim 
off  the  scum  that  forms  when  the  glue  is  boiling. 

In  using  home-made  glue  have  it  very  hot,  for  the 
hotter  it  is  the  stronger  the  joint  it  will  make;  further 
put  it  on  both  surfaces  of  the  wood  to  be  glued 
together  very  thinly  as  this  also  tends  to  make  it  stick 
tighter. 

How  to  Sharpen  Your  Tools. —  You  must  have 
sharp  tools  if  you  expect  to  do  a  job  like  a  carpenter 
or  a  cabinet  maker. 

About  Sharpening  Saws. —  This  is  done  by  filing 
the  teeth  with  a  hand  saw  taper  file  and  the  saw  must 
be  held  in  a  saw-vise,  that  is  a  vise  with  long  jaws 
which  keep  the  saw  from  vibrating. 

When  the  saw  is  filed  the  teeth  must  be  set,  which 
means  that  one  tooth  is  bent  one  way  a  trifle  and  the 
next  one  to  it  is  bent  the  other  way  and  this  is  done 
with  a  tool  called  a  saw  set. 

You  ought  to  learn  to  file  your  own  saws  but  it 
would  be  just  as  well,  or  a  little  better,  to  let  a  man 
who  makes  a  business  of  filing  saws  do  this  job  for 
you  at  first.  Keep  your  saws  oiled  when  not  in 
use. 

About  Sharpening  Chisels  and  Plane  Bits. —  To 
sharpen  a  chisel  or  a  plane  bit  put  a  few  drops  of  oil 


CARPENTRY  WORK  13 

on  your  Washita  oil  stone ;  hold  the  beveled  edge  of  the 
tool  on  it  and  toward  you,  and  see  to  it  that  it  rests 
flat  on  the  stone  or  you  will  make  it  rounding  and  the 
edge  uneven. 

When  you  get  it  at  exactly  the  right  angle  grasp 
it  firmly  with  both  hands  and  then  move  it  on  the 
stone,  forth  and  back,  pressing  down  on  it  pretty  hard 
as  it  moves  away  from  you,  and  easing  up  on  it  as  you 
draw  it  toward  you. 

When  a  chisel  or  a  plane-bit  gets  a  nick  in  it  it 
must  be  ground  out  on  a  grind  stone;  if  you  haven't 
one  get  a  carpenter  to  do  it  for  you,  and  when  you  get 
it  back  hone  it,  that  is,  sharpen  it  on  your  oil  stone  as 
before. 

Get  a  Washita  slip  stone  for  the  touching  up  gouges 
and  instead  of  rubbing  the  edge  of  the  gouge  on  the 
stone  you  rub  the  stone  on  the  gouge.  Never  try  to 
grind  a  woodworking  tool  on  an  emery  wheel. 

About  Sharpening  Auger  Bits. —  An  ordinary 
auger-bit  seldom  needs  sharpening  but  when  it  does 
the  cutter  of  it  must  be  sharpened  on  the  inside.  A 
very  fine  file  can  be  used  for  this  purpose  and  then 
hone  it  with  a  slip  of  an  oil  stone. 

How  to  Take  Care  of  Your  Tools. —  If  your  work- 
shop is  nice  and  dry  you  don't  need  to  put  your  tools 
away  in  a  chest  or  a  cabinet  after  you  get  through  us- 
ing them  each  time. 

But  if  you  use  them  only  once  in  awhile  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  wipe  them  off  with  a  piece  of  cheese-cloth 
moistened  with  oil  and  then  lock  them  up  where  neither 


i4  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

the  baby  can  get  them  nor  the  hired  girl  from  across 
the  street  can  borrow  them. 

Removing  Dust  from  Tools. —  Should  any  of  your 
tools  show  signs  of  rusting  you  can  get  the  rust  off 
by  rubbing  some  sweet  oil  on  the  rusted  part;  let  it 
stand  a  couple  of  days  and  then  rub  it  with  very  finely 
powdered  unslacked  lime. 

To  Etch  Your  Name  on  Tools. —  Clean  the  saw, 
or  whatever  tool  you  want  to  etch  your  name  on,  with 
a  hot  solution  made  by  dissolving  some  sodium  carbon- 
ate, commonly  called  soda,  in  water  and  be  careful 
not  to  touch  the  cleaned  surface  with  your  fingers. 

Next  cover  the  cleaned  surface  with  a  thin  layer  of 
melted  wax  or  paraffin  and  when  it  is  cold  scratch 
your  name  clear  through  it  with  a  darning  needle  or 
some  other  sharp  pointed  tool  so  that  the  steel  is  ex- 
posed and  the  acid  solution  can  act  on  it. 

Put  J/2  an  ounce  of  water  into  a  glass  stoppered 
bottle  and  add  l/2  an  ounce  of  nitric  acid.8  Shake  the 
solution  well  to  mix  it,  dip  a  splint  of  wood  into  it  and 
touch  the  scratched  in  letters  with  it  until  the  acid 
covers  the  exposed  parts  of  the  steel. 

Let  the  acid  solution  stay  on  for  a  half  or  an  hour 
and  then  wash  it  off  with  hot  water,  scrape  off 
the  paraffin  and  you  will  find  your  name  etched  on  the 
steel  exactly  as  you  marked  it. 

8  Nitric  acid  is  a  poison  and  you  must  so  label  the  bottle  con- 
taining it.  Do  not  pour  the  water  into  the  acid  as  it  will  splash 
about.  Be  careful  not  to  get  it  on  your  clothes,  but  if  you 
should,  brush  some  ammonia  over  it  as  this  will  neutralize  it 
and  stop  its  action. 


CARPENTRY  WORK  15 

Kinds  of  Wood  to  Use. —  There  are  many  kinds  of 
woods  and  each  one  has  its  special  use  in  the  arts  and 
crafts.  For  carpentry  and  cabinet  making  you  will 
probably  not  use  more  than  half-a-dozen  woods  and 
these  are,  (i)  pine;  (2)  cedar;  (3)  mahogany;  (4) 
oak;  (5)  birch  and  (6)  walnut. 

Pine. —  This  is  a  good  wood  for  making  things  in 
general.  There  are  two  kinds  of  pine  and  these  are 
(a)  white  pine  and  (b)  yellow  pine. 

White  pine  is  very  soft,  light  and  straight  grained 
and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  use  it  even  if  it  is  only  to  sit  on 
a  fence  and  whittle  it  with  a  pocket  knife.  (I  wish  I 
could  do  it  again.)  You  can  make  benches,  boxes, 
toys  and  a  hundred  and  one  other  things  out  of  it  but 
it  is  too  soft  for  furniture  and  cabinet  work. 

Yellow,  or  Georgia  pine  has  a  fine  yellow  color, 
and  a  beautiful  grain  and  together  they  are  very 
showy.  It  is  harder  than  white  pine  and  while  it  can 
be  used  where  the  latter  cannot,  it  is  not  nearly  as 
easy  to  work. 

Cedar. —  This  fragrant  wood  belongs  to  the  pine 
family  and  it  is  nearly  as  soft  as  pine.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  cedar  and  these  are  (a)  red  cedar  and  (b) 
white  cedar. 

Red  cedar  is  the  kind  you  want  to  get  to  make  things 
of;  it  has  a  pastel  red  color  and  a  fragrant  odor  and 
it  is  this  latter  property  that  makes  it  a  good  wood 
for  wardrobe  chests,  for  moths  do  not  like  it.  Next 
to  white  pine  it  is  about  the  easiest  wood  to  work 
and  it  is  especially  nice  for  making  all  small  articles, 


16  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

such  as  glove  boxes,  handkerchief  boxes  and  the 
like. 

Mahogany. —  Also  and  likewise  there  are  two  kinds 
of  mahogany  and  these  are  (a)  Honduras  mahogany 
and  (b)  Spanish  mahogany. 

Honduras  mahogany  is  the  kind  that  cigar  boxes  are 
made  of  and  it  is  much  softer  and  lighter  in  both 
weight  and  color  than  Spanish  mahogany.  You  can 
make  all  manner  of  nice  things  of  the  better  grades  of 
Honduras  mahogany  and,  curiously  enough,  it  stays 
glued  better  than  any  other  wood.  It  is  nearly  as 
easy  to  work  as  pine  and  it  takes  a  fine  polish. 

Spanish  mahogany  is  like  Honduras  mahogany  in 
name  only.  It  is  a  fine,  close-grained  dark-red-brown 
or  yellow-brown  colored  wood,  takes  a  very  high  pol- 
ish and  makes  the  finest  kind  of  furniture. 

Oak. —  This  is  a  strong,  beautiful  wood  and  is  use- 
ful in  making  all  kinds  of  furniture  the  design  of  which 
should  be  plain. 

It  is  not  an  easy  wood  to  work  and  tools  when  used 
on  it  soon  lose  their  cutting  edges.  But  after  you 
have  made  a  piece  of  furniture  you  can  depend  on  it 
that  it  will  last  to  the  end  of  time,  nearly. 

Birch. —  This  wood  belongs  to  the  oak  family  but 
different  from  oak  it  is  quite  easy  to  work.  It  is  light 
in  color,  fine  grained,  so  tough  and  elastic  it  cannot  be 
easily  broken,  and  it  takes  a  fine  polish.  For  these 
reasons  it  makes  nice  furniture  and  it  is  a  very  good 
wood  for  turning. 

It  is  from  the  bark  of  the  birch  that  the  Indians 


CARPENTRY  WORK  17 

made  their  canoes,  but  this  is  a  story  of  the  long  ago 
and  we  must  stick  to  the  present. 

Walnut. —  This  is  a  good  old  English  wood;  it  is 
the  finest  kind  of  wood  that  can  be  used  for  ornamen- 
tal furniture,  gun  stocks  and  wherever  else  a  beauti- 
ful color  and  a  showy  grain  are  wanted.  It  is  easier 
to  work  than  oak  and  is  a  fine  wood  for  carving. 

How  to  Make  Joints. —  The  word  joint  in  wood- 
working means  the  place  where  two  or  more  pieces  of 
wood  are  fitted  together,  and  hence  the  words  joiner 
and  joinery  in  woodworking  parlance. 


fl    THE  SQUARE  OR  ^^SM^  • 

BUTT  JOINT  ^\\NlN\s\s\NNN\\\\   . 

B  THE  PLAIN L  flP  JOINT 


C  THE  BEVELED  LflP  JOINT 


D-  THE  REBflTED  JOINT  E-  THE  TONGlL/E  ffND 

GROOVE  JOINT 

FlG.  3.      HOW  EDGE  JOINTS  ARE  MADE 

There  are  two  chief  kinds  of  joints  and  these  are, 
(i)  where  two  flat  surfaces  are  fixed  to  each  other, 
and  (2)  where  the  edges  of  two  boards  meet  to  form 
a  corner.  Though  there  are  many  ways  to  make  both 
kinds  of  joints  I  shall  only  tell  you  about  half-a-dozen 
which  you  will  find  the  most  useful  for  your  needs. 


18  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Edge  Joints. —  There  are  three  easy  ways  to  make 
flat,  or  edge  joints  and  these  are  (a)  the  square,  or 
butt  joint;  (b)  the  lap-joint  and  (c)  the  matched 
joint,  all  of  which  are  shown  in  Fig.  3. 

In  the  square  joint  the  edges  of  the  boards  are 
simply  butted  together  and  nailed,  screwed  or  glued. 
This  joint  is  very  weak  unless  the  abutting  ends  are 
fastened  to  something  else 

In  the  simplest  form  of  lap-joint  the  edge  of  one 
board  is  laid  on  top  of  the  other  board  and  these  are 
nailed  or  otherwise  fastened  together.  A  neater  lap 
joint  is  made  by  cutting  away  half  of  the  edge  of 
each  end  of  the  boards  so  that  when  they  are  fitted  and 
fixed  together  the  surfaces  of  the  boards  at  the  joints 
are  even  and  smooth. 

A  better  joint  than  the  lap-joint  is  made  by  planing 
a  tongue  on  the  edge  of  one  board  and  a  groove  in  the 
other.  To  do  this  easily,  neatly  and  quickly  you  need 
a  rabbet  plane  and  as  this  is  quite  a  costly  tool,  you  can 
get  along  very  well  without  it  by  using  the  lap-joints. 

Corner  Joints. —  There  are  five  corner  joints  which 
you  should  know  about  and  these  are  (a)  the  butt,  or 
square  joint;  (b)  the  lap,  or  rebated  joint;  (c)  the 
miter ed  corner  pieced  joint;  (d)  the  common  dove-tail 
box  joint,  and  (e)  the  regular  dove-tail  joint,  pictures 
of  all  of  which  are  shown  in  Fig.  4. 

Now  when  you  can  saw  a  board  off  straight,  plane 
it  true  and  make  a  good  joint  you  will  have  small 
trouble  in  making  anything  in  wood  that  you  want  to 
make. 


CARPENTRY  WORK 


fl-  THE  BUTT  OR        B-  THE  REBATED       C  THEMITERED 
SQUARE  JOINT  JOINT  CORNER  PIECE.  JOINT 


THE  SIMPLE  BOX. 

DOVETAIL 


I-  fi  BETTER  FORM  OF 
DOVET/J/L 


FlG.  4.      HOW  CORNER  JOINTS  ARE  MADE 

About  Working  Drawings. —  When  most  boys  — 
to  say  nothing  of  the  majority  of  men  —  start  to  make 
something  they  simply  knit  their  eyebrows  (not  high- 
brows) and  think  out  how  it  will  look  in  the  concrete 
—  that  is  when  it  is  all  done  and  ready  to  use. 

Then  they  go  ahead  and  begin  to  saw  up  the  lumber 
and  put  the  pieces  together.  The  result  is  that  when 
the  object  is  finished  it  looks  very  different  from  the 
thing  they  so  proudly  pictured  in  their  mind's  eye. 
Now  the  right  way  to  build  what  you  want  and  have  it 
look  as  it  ought  to  is  to  make  a  working  drawing  of  it. 

To  do  this  draw  a  picture  of  it  to  a  scale,  of  say  I 
i*>ch  to  the  foot;  that  is,  if  it  is  to  be  4  feet  long 


20 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


draw  it  4  inches  long.  The  drawings  I  have  made  of 
the  work-bench  and  the  tool  box  which  follow  will 
show  you  how  to  make  simple  working  drawings  and 
the  last  part  of  Chapter  III  explains  it  all  in  detail,  so 
read  it  carefully. 

Things  for  You  to  Make. —  When  you  have  your 
workshop  ready,  your  tools  at  hand,  the  foregoing 
ideas  of  woods  in  your  mind  and  know  about  simple 
working  drawings  you  can  go  ahead  and  make  things 
and  your  first  job  will  probably  be  to  make  a  bench. 


FlG.   5.     AN  EASILY   MADE  WORK  BENCH 

How  to  Make  a  Work  Bench. —  Go  to  a  lumber 
yard  or  a  planing  mill  and  get  one  2x2  scantling  12 
feet  long  for  the  legs,  and  two  2x2  scantlings  for  the 
cross  bars  and  the  side  bars ;  the  middle  cross  bar  can 
be  any  kind  of  a  thick  piece  of  wood.  If  you  can't 


CARPENTRY  WORK  21 

get  2x2  scantlings  get  2  x  4's  and  have  whichever 
size  you  get  planed  smooth  on  all  sides. 

At  the  same  time  get  three  boards  i  or  2  inches 
thick,  10  inches  wide  and  6  feet  long  for  the  top  of 
the  bench  and  two  boards  I  inch  thick,  10  inches  wide 
and  4  feet  long  for  the  tool  board.  Saw  the  scantlings 
up  so  that  you  will  have  four  pieces  for  the  legs  2  feet 
9  inches  long;  four  cross-bars  2  feet  6  inches  long, 
and  two  side  bars  3  feet  6  inches  long. 

Build  up  the  frame  of  the  bench  first  as  shown  in 
Fig  5;  then  nail,  or  better,  screw  a  cross-bar  to  the 
middle  of  the  6  foot  boards,  lay  them  on  top  of  the 
frame  and  nail  or  screw  them  to  the  end  cross  bars. 


CBOSSSECT/OH 


FlG.  6.     A  WOOD  VISE  FOR   YOUR  WORK  BENCH 

When  you  have  the  bench  thus  far  along  put  on  the 
vise. 

A  wood-worker's  vise  as  shown  at  A  and  B  in  Fig. 
6  can  be  bought  for  $3.50  on  up  to  about  $9.00.  The 
jaws  are  about  4  inches  wide  and  12  inches  long  and 
they  open  nearly  12  inches.  All  you  have  to  do  to  fix 
it  to  your  bench  is  to  screw  the  rear  jaw  to  the  front 
left  hand  edge  of  the  top  of  the  bench  as  shown  in 
Fig-  5- 


22 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


The  tool  board  is  not  an  absolute  necessity  but  it  is 
a  great  convenience.  To  make  it  saw  off  two  boards 
4  feet  long,  nail  them  together  with  a  couple  of  strips 
of  wood  —  these  are  called  cleats  —  and  round  off  one 
end  as  shown  in  Fig.  5.  Screw  the  tool  board  to  the 
back  of  the  bench  and  you  are  all  ready  to  make  things 
in  wood. 

How  to  Make  a  Tool  Chest. —  Either  birch  or 
chestnut  are  good  woods  to  make  your  tool  chest  of. 
Make  the  box,  that  is  the  lower  part  of  the  chest,  and 
the  lid  for  it  of  %  inch  thick  stuff;  have  the  box  9 
MOULDING  STKIPS. 


7  A.    A  CARPENTER'S  TOOL  CHEST 


inches  high,  12  inches  wide  and  30  inches  long  and 
have  the  lid  3  inches  high,  12  inches  wide  and  30 
inches  long.  Screw  the  boards  together  as  nails  will 
not  hold  tight  enough.  See  A  Fig.  7. 

Screw  a  strip  of  wood  inside  the  chest  for  the  tray 
to  rest  on;  put  two  or  three  hinges  on  the  box  and 


CARPENTRY  WORK  23 

lid  and  be  particular  how  you  do  it  or  the  lid  will 
not  fit  evenly  on  the  chest.  Fasten  a  staple  on  front 
of  the  box  in  the  middle  near  the  top  and  a  hasp  on 
the  cover  so  that  you  can  put  on  a  padlock,  or  better 
you  can  put  on  a  regular  chest  lock  which  is  handier 
and  makes  a  neater  looking  job.  To  keep  the  lid  from 
falling  back  when  you  open  it,  screw  a  piece  of  chain 
about  8  inches  long  to  it  and  the  box  and  this  will 
serve  as  a  check. 

Finally  make  a  tray  of  H  or  %  inch  thick  wood  as 
shown  at  B  in  Fig.  7.  Make  the  ends  6  inches  high 
and  6  inches  long  and  saw  out  the  handle  grips  with 
your  keyhole  saw.  Make  the  sides  and  partitions  4^/2 


Jlr\ 


FlG  7B.      THE  TRAY  FOR  YOUR  TOOL  CHEST 

inches  high  and  28%  inches  long,  screw  them  together 
and  put  on  the  bottom.  By  making  the  tray  narrower 
than  the  chest  you  can  slide  it  back  and  forth  and  so 
get  such  tools  out  of  the  bottom  as  you  may  need  with- 
out lifting  the  tray  each  time  you  do  so. 

Note. —  You  can  buy  any  tool  I  have  described  in 
this  chapter  of  any  hardware  dealer  or  tool  supply 
company  in  your  town  or  if  one  is  not  at  hand  Ham- 
macher,  Schlemmer  and  Company,  corner  of  Fourth 
Avenue  and  I3th  Street,  New  York  City,  will  supply 
you  with  just  what  you  want. 


CHAPTER  II 

SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING, 
WOOD  CARVING,  ETC. 

As  you  may  have  observed,  it  takes  a  pretty  good 
sized  room  for  a  shop  and  quite  a  lot  of  tools  to  do 
carpenter  work  and  cabinet  making. 

Now  if  you  find  it  hard  to  get  these  things  don't  be 
discouraged  because  there  are  other  kinds  of  wood- 
work that  take  neither  a  whole  room  nor  a  chest  of 
tools,  and  the  chief  ones  of  these  are  ( i )  scroll  saw- 
ing; (2)  wood  turning;  (3)  wood  carving  and  (4) 
pyrography. 

Not  only  are  the  pursuits  of  these  trades  pleasant 
but  they  are  profitable  because  whether  the  art  ob- 
jects you  make  are  useful  or  not  the  work  trains  your 
mind,  your  eyes  and  your  hands  at  one  and  the  same 
time  and  when  you  get  these  three  factors  working 
harmoniously  together  you  have  achieved  something 
that  will  be  valuable  to  you  as  long  as  you  live. 

All  About  Scroll  Sawing 

Scroll  sawing,  fret  sawing  and  jig  sawing  all  mean 
precisely  the  same  thing  and  that  is  sawing  interlaced 
and  ornamental  designs  out  of  wood,  or  fretivork  as  it 
is  called. 

24 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     25 

With  a  scroll  saw  frame  costing  50  cents  and  a  few 
thin  boards  you  can  saw  out  the  most  exquisite  pat- 
terns and  make  the  most  dainty  articles  imaginable. 
There  is  more  pleasure,  of  course,  in  using  a  regular 
foot  power  scroll  saw,  but  you  can  do  just  as  good 
work  with  a  hand  frame  and  though  it  takes  a  little 
longer  you'll  enjoy  it  immensely. 

Scroll  Sawing  Outfits. —  A  scroll  saw  is  a  very 
simple  piece  of  apparatus  and  it  consists  of  a  fine  saw 
fixed  in  a  frame,  or  otherwise  supported,  so  that  it 
can  be  moved  up  and  down,  and  it  is  narrow  enough 
to  turn  sharp  curves. 

Now  scroll  saws,  as  I  shall  call  them,  are  of  three 
kinds  and  these  are  (i)  those  worked  by  hand;  (2) 
those  run  by  foot-power,  and  (3)  those  operated  by 
other  kinds  of  power. 


FlG.  8.      A   SIMPLE  AND  CHEAP   SCROLL  SAWING  OUTFIT 

A  Cheap  Scroll  Sawing  Outfit. —  The  simplest 
and  cheapest  scroll  sawing  outfit  consists  of  (a)  a 
scroll  saw  frame;  (b)  a  dozen  saw  blades,  and  (c)  an 
awl,  all  of  which  are  shown  in  Fig.  8.  If  it  is  your 


26  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

idea  to  saw  out  brackets  and  other  fancy  knickknacks 
you  ought  to  have  a  sheet  of  (d)  impression  paper? 
(e)  some  sheet  designs*  and  (f)  some  fancy 
wood. 

The  scroll  saw  frame  is  a  bent  iron  or  steel  bar, 
usually  nickel-plated,  which  forms  a  frame  about  5 
inches  wide  and  12  inches  long.  A  handle  is  fitted 
to  one  end  and  a  clamp  to  each  end  so  that  the  saw 
blade  can  be  held  tight  in  the  frame. 

How  to  Use  the  Scroll  Saw. —  The  first  thing  to  do 
is  to  put  a  saw  blade  in  the  frame  and  be  sure  to  have 
the  points  of  the  teeth  down,  that  is  toward  the 
handle. 

Next  mark  the  design  you  intend  to  saw  out  on  a 
a  thin  piece  of  wood  10  planed  nice  and  smooth  on 
both  sides,  hold  it  flat  on  the  edge  of  the  table  with 
your  left  hand,  grip  the  saw  handle  with  your  right 
hand  and  hold  it  so  that  the  saw  blade  is  vertical  as 
shown  in  Fig.  9. 

You  are  ready  now  to  begin  to  saw  out  the  design ; 
set  the  sawblade  on  the  line,  jig  the  saw  frame  up 
and  down  and  be  careful  to  give  it  even  and  smooth 
strokes.  You  will  be  surprised  to  find  how  easily  it 
works.  When  you  are  sawing  turn  the  wood  and 
not  the  saw  frame  —  the  latter  can  be  turned  a  little 
sometimes  to  advantage  —  and  hold  it  so  that  the  back 

8  This  is  ordinary  carbon  paper  such  as  is  used  for  type- 
writing. 

6  See  Fancy  Woods  for  Scroll  Sawing  in  this  chapter. 

10  Both  can  be  bought  of  L.  H.  Wild,  171  Avenue  A,  New 
York  City. 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     27 

of  the  frame  is  always  toward  you  and  the  blade 
should  move  forward  but  very  slightly. 

When  you  want  to  saw  a  piece  out  of  the  inside 
of  the  board,  take  your  awl  and  make  a  hole  in  it 
by  giving  it  a  twisting  motion  to  prevent  it  from 


I 

FlG.  9-     THE  RIGHT  WAY  TO  USE  A   HAND  SCROLL  SAW 

splitting  the  wood.  Now  unscrew  one  of  the  clamps 
of  your  saw  frame  and  put  the  free  end  of  the  saw 
through  the  hole,  clamp  it  in  the  frame  and  start  to 
saw  again. 

A  Few  Other  Helpful  Things.— A  Hand  Saw- 
Table. —  You  can  saw  out  your  designs  much  more 
easily  and  neatly  if  you  use  a  hand  saw  table  as  shown 
in  Fig.  10.  This  is  a  board  about  4x6  inches  on  the 


28 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


sides  with  a  V  sawed  out  of  one  end  and  a  clamp 
screwed  to  the  bottom  of  it. 

This  makes  the  end  of  the  board  project  out  from 
the  table  it  is  clamped  to,  raises  the  wood  you  are 


FlG.    IO.      A    HAND   SCROLL   SAW   TABLE 

sawing  from  the  surface  of  it  and  gives  you  a  firm 
grip  on  it.  You  can  easily  make  a  saw  table  or  you 
can  buy  one  for  50  cents.11 

Files  for  Scroll  Work. —  To  do  a  really  neat  job 
at  scroll  sawing  you  should  have  a  set  of  scroll  saw 
files.  These  files  are  long  and  thin  and  are  made 
round,  oval,  knife  edge,  half  round  and  three  cornered 
as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  1 1. 

A  Tu'ist  Drill  Stock. —  A  twist  drill  stock  and  a 
drill,  see  B,  Fig.  n,  is  far  better  for  making  holes 
in  wood  than  an  awl  and  as  they  only  cost  50  cents 
you  should  have  one.  You  can  make  a  hole  in  a  % 
inch  thick  board  in  the  Kooth  part  of  a  minute. 

A  Pair  of  Pliers. —  A  pair  of  flat-nose,  side  cutting 
pliers  is  a  very  useful  tool  which  will  go  a  long  way 

"The  Millers  Falls  Company,  Millers  Falls,  Mass.,  makes 
them  and  nearly  all  tool  companies  sell  them. 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     29 


toward  making  your  scroll  sawing  efforts  a  success. 
A  pair  is  shown  at  C  in  Fig.  II. 

A  Small  Hammer. —  And  finally  get  a  small  ham- 
mer to  drive  brads  with  as  pictured  at  D. 

Scroll  Saw  Blades. —  There  are  two  kinds  made  and 
these  are  known  as  (i)  Star  saw  blades  and  (2)  Ger- 
man saw  blades. 

As  one  is  as  good  as  the  other  by  all  means  buy 


FLflTNOSE,  SIDE 
CUTTING  PLIERS 


fl  SMALL 
HflMMER 


THE  TEETH  OF # 
9AW  ARE  PLACED 
WIDE  flPffRT  TO 
CUT  CLEflN 


FlG.  II.      SOME  NECESSARY  SCROLL  SAWING  TOOLS 

Star  blades.  The  sizes  from  I  to  10  are  shown  at 
E  in  Fig.  n,  but  three  smaller  and  two  larger  sizes 
are  made.  The  smaller  sizes  cost  10  cents  a  dozen 
and  the  larger  sizes  15  cents  a  dozen.  The  spacing 
of  the  teeth  on  the  blade  is  shown  at  F. 

How  to  Trace  a  Design  on  Wood. —  You  can 
draw  your  own  designs  or  buy  them  printed  ready  to 
use.  In  either  case  you  must  transfer  the  design  to 
the  surface  of  the  wood  you  are  going  to  saw. 


30  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

To  do  this  lay  a  sheet  of  carbon  paper  as  typists 
call  it,  or  impression  paper  as  jig  sawyers  call  it,  with 
the  prepared  side  next  to  the  wood;  lay  the  design 
sheet  on  top  of  it;  and  fasten  the  corners  of  the  sheets 
to  the  wood  with  glue,  or,  better,  with  thumb  tacks.12 

Now  take  a  sharp,  hard  lead  pencil  or  a  piece  of 
pointed  bone  and  trace  the  outline  of  the  design. 
When  you  have  it  all  done  you  will  find  that  the  de- 
sign is  plainly  marked  in  black  lines  on  the  wood  — 
that  is  except  where  you  forgot  to  trace  it. 

Designs  for  Scroll  Sawing. —  Designs  in  great 
variety  can  be  bought  of  H.  L.  Wild,  Publisher,  171 
Avenue  A,  New  York  City.  Besides  glove  boxes, 
handkerchief  boxes,  bird  cages,  clock  cases,  thread 
and  thimble  stands,  photo  frames  and  a  thousand  and 
one  other  pretty  and  useful  articles  you  can  get  pat- 
terns for  doll  furniture,  alphabets  and  mechanical  de- 
signs like  the  horizontal  engine  shown  at  A  in  Fig. 
12  and  the  fire  engine  shown  at  B. 

Foot-Power  Scroll  Saws. —  There  are  several 
makes  of  foot-power  scroll  saws  on  the  market  and  the 
prices  of  these  range  from  $4.50  to  $25. 

The  Cricket  Scroll  Saw. —  This  is  the  cheapest  foot- 
power  scroll  saw  that  you  can  buy  and  is  the  one  that 
sells  for  $4.50.  It  has  a  table  that  tilts  which  permits 
you  to  saw  your  work  on  a  bevel  —  that  is  on  a  slant 
—  so  that  you  can  inlay  it  with  some  other  kind  of 
wood  or  metal. 

12  Thumb  tacks  are  short,  flat  headed  tacks  used  by  draughts- 
men. 


frfl  HORIZONTAL  STEW  ENGINE 


\rflFIREENGINE 


FlG.   12.      MECHANICAL  MASTERPIECES  MADE  WITH  A  SCROLL  SAW 
31 


32  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

This  little  machine  weighs  17  pounds  and  is  33 
inches  high;  it  is  made  of  lighter  castings  than  the 
machines  which  follow  but  it  will  do  just  about  as 
good  work  as  the  higher  priced  ones.  Fig.  13  shows 
what  it  looks  like. 

TILTING 
TABLE M 


FlG.   13.      THE  CHEAPEST  FOOT-POWER   SCROLL  SAW   MADE 

The  Lester  Scroll  Saw. —  This  is  a  well  made  saw, 
has  a  cast  iron  frame  and  the  arms  of  the  saw  frame 
and  the  pitman  —  that  is,  the  rod  which  connects  the 
crank  wheel  with  the  frame  —  are  of  ash. 

The  Lester  has  several  very  handy  attachments  and 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING    33 

these  are  (a)  an  automatic  dust  blower,  which  blows 
the  sawdust  away  from  the  line  you  are  sawing  on; 

(b)  an  adjustable  lever  saw  clamp  with  a  hinged  jaw 
which  prevents  the  saw  blades   from  breaking;  and 

(c)  a  drilling  attachment. 


FlG.    14.     THE  LESTER   SCROLL  SAW   WITH   TURNING  LATHE 
ATTACHMENT 

This  saw,  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  14,  costs  $10.00, 
is  35  inches  high  and  weighs  in  the  neighborhood  of 
30  pounds.  The  lathe  attachment  costs  $2.00  extra. 

The  Fleetwood  Scroll  Saw. —  This  is  the  best  and 
consequently  the  most  expensive  foot  power  scroll 


34  •         HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

saw  made.  It  has  a  swing  of  nearly  16  inches.  It 
is  fitted  with  a  tilting  table,  a  vertical  drill  and  a 
blowing  attachment.  A  scroll  saw  of  this  kind  with 
a  plain  stand  can  be  bought  for  $21.00,  or  one  with  a 
fancy  stand,  see  Fig.  15,  can  be  had  for  $25.00. 


FlG.  15.      THE  FLEETWOOD  SCROLL  SAW 

How  a  Foot-Power  Scroll  Saw  Works. —  If  you 
will  look  again  at  Figs.  13  and  14  you  will  see  that  the 
scroll  saws  shown  have  saw  frames  very  like  a  hand 
saw  frame.  The  lower  part  of  the  frame  is  con- 
nected with  a  crank  on  the  end  of  a  spindle,  which  has 
a  small  grooved  wheel  fixed  to  it,  by  a  pitman  or  rod 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     35 

and  the  treadle  is  connected  with  the  large  drive 
wheel  by  another  pitman;  finally  the  drive  wheel  is 
belted  to  the  small  grooved  wheel. 

Now  when  you  work  the  treadle  with  your  foot  it 
produces  a  reciprocating  motion  and  this  is  changed 
by  the  pitman  into  rotary  motion  which  it  imparts  to 
the  drive  wheel.  Since  the  grooved,  or  driven,  wheel  is 
smaller  than  the  drive  wheel  it  revolves  faster  and  this 
gives  the  pitman  connected  with  it  a  very  rapid 
rotary  motion  on  one  end  but  as  it  is  pivoted  to  the 
frame  which  in  turn  is  pivoted  at  the  rear  end  it  is 
changed  into  an  up  and  down  or  reciprocating  motion 
exactly  like  the  treadle  but  many  times  faster. 

The  Fleetwood  works  a  little  differently,  in  that  in- 
stead of  a  frame  the  pitman  is  connected  with  a  metal 
block  that  slides  in  a  guide.  The  lower  end  of  the 
saw  is  fastened  to  the  upper  end  of  this  sliding  block 
and  the  top  of  the  saw  blade  is  fixed  to  the  end  of  a 
long,  curved  spring  whose  elasticity  tends  to  make  it 
fly  up. 

This  action  keeps  the  saw  blade  always  taut  and 
pulls  it  up  except  when  the  pitman  pulls  the  block  down 
and  the  saw  with  it.  This  is  the  principle  on  which 
large  power  jig  saws  used  in  shops  are  worked. 

How  to  Saw  on  a  Foot-Power  Scroll  Saw. —  Lay 
the  board  you  are  going  to  saw  flat  on  the  table  of  the 
machine  and  put  your  finger  tips  of  both  hands  on  top 
of  the  board;  when  possible  keep  one  hand  on  one 
side  of  the  saw  and  the  other  hand  on  the  opposite 
side  of  it. 


36  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Press  down  hard  enough  on  the  work  to  keep  it 
on  the  table  against  the  up  strokes  of  the  saw ;  as  the 
top  of  the  table  is  polished  it  is  easy  to  slide  the  work 
around  and  keep  the  saw  on  the  line.  Run  the  saw  at 
an  even  speed  and  do  not  feed  the  wood  against  the 
blade  too  fast. 

Fancy   Woods   for   Scroll   Saw   Work. —  Fancy 

TABLE  OF  SCROLL  SAW  WOODS 

Price  per  foot 

Name  planed  to  a  thickness  of 

Mo  to  %  in.  %0*n.  14  in. 

Poplar,  or  White  Wood  or  Bass  $0.07      $0.08  $0.09 

.12  .14 

.12  .15 

•13  -IS 

•13  -15 

•13  -15 

.14  .16 

.16  .18 

.16  .18 

.16  .18 

•25  -30 

•25  -30 

.30  .40 

•35          40 
.60          .75 
Real  Ebony 50          .50          .50 

These  woods  can  be  bought  of  H.  L.  Wild,  171  Avenue 
A,  New  York  City,  or  of  J.  Gabriel  and  Company,  672 
Grand  Street,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


Spanish  Cedar  

,  10 

White  Maple  

,  10 

Sycamore   

ii 

Hazel  Wood   

ii 

Oak  or  White  Ash  

,  ii 

White  Holly  

,  12 

Black  Walnut  

,  14 

Bird's  Eye  Maple  

14 

Mahogany    

14 

Cocobola  , 

20 

Amaranth  

20 

Rosewood  

25 

Satin  Wood  

30 

Tulip  

50 

SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     37 

woods  that  are  planed  on  both  sides  for  scroll  sawing 
can  be  bought  in  thicknesses  of  Me,  %,  %e  and  1A  inch. 
Wood  that  is  %  inch  thick  is  the  best  to  use  for  all 
ordinary  work. 

The  foregoing  list  gives  the  name,  thickness  and 
price  of  the  chief  common  and  fancy  woods  that  are 
good  for  scroll  sawing. 

Trimmings  for  Boxes,  Etc. —  Brass  hinges,  knobs, 
screws,  drawer  pulls,  box  hooks,  French  screws  and 
wire  nails,  that  is  brads,  catches,  metal  legs,  small 
locks,  escutcheons,  turned  moldings,  etc.,  can  be 
bought  of  the  above  dealers  who  specialize  in  scroll 
sawyer's  materials. 

Turning  in  Wood 

And  now  we  come  to  another  and  highly  fasci- 
nating kind  of  wood-work  and  this  is  to  spin  a  stick 
of  wood  in  a  lathe  and  shape  it  with  a  chisel  or  gouge, 
or  wood  turning  as  it  is  called. 

While  the  outfit  you  need  to  turn  wood  with  costs 
more  than  for  scroll  sawing  you  will  never  forget  the 
pleasure  of  rounding  up  of  a  bit  of  wood  into  a  shapely 
form,  no,  not  if  you  were  to  live  a  thousand  years. 

Get  a  Lathe  First. —  It  is  far  better  to  buy  a  lathe 
than  to  try  to  make  one,  that  is  if  you  expect  to  turn 
anything  on  it,  for  in  the  first  place  it  is  hard  to  get 
the  things  to  make  one  with  and  in  the  second  you  can 
buy  one  for  very  little  money. 

How  a  Lathe  is  Made, —  A  wood  turning  lathe  con- 


38  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

sists  of  four  principal  parts,  and  these  are  ( i )  the 
headstock;  (2)  the  rest;  (3)  the  tailstock;  (4)  the 
bed  and  (5)  the  stand,  the  first  three  parts  of  which 
are  shown  in  Fig.  16. 


CONE  PULLEY 


FlG.    l6.      THE  CHIEF  PARTS   OF  A  TURNING  LATHE 

The  head  stock  is  fixed  to  the  bed  of  the  stand;  it 
is  formed  of  a  cone  pulley  mounted  on  a  spindle  in  a 
frame.  A  spur  center  is  screwed  to  the  spindle  and 
this  holds  the  wood  tightly  in  place  while  it  is  being 
turned.  The  rest,  which  is  adjustable,  is  used  to  lay 
your  turning  tool  on  and  so  keep  it  in  position.  A 
long  and  short  rest  usually  go  with  the  better  lathes. 

The  tailstock  has  two  adjustments,  the  first  of  which 
allows  it  to  be  slipped  back  and  forth  on  the  bed  and 
clamped  at  any  point  which  gives  a  rough  adjustment, 
and  the  second  is  a  spindle  which  is  threaded  on  one 
end  and  has  a  taper  center,  that  is  a  sharp  point  on 
the  other  end.  This  allows  the  piece  of  wood  which 
is  to  be  turned  to  be  set  between  the  spur  center  of 
the  headstock  and  the  taper  center  of  the  tailstock. 

These  parts  rest  on  the  bed  of  the  lathe  and  this  in 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING    39 


turn  is  mounted  on  a  stand.  The  stand  is  fitted  with 
a  drive  wheel  and  this  is  driven  by  a  treadle  with  which 
it  is  connected  by  a  pitman  exactly  like  a  foot-power 
scroll  saw. 

The  Cheapest  Lathe  You  Can  Buy. —  The  cheap- 
est lathe  you  buy  is  called  the  Companion;  it  is  made 


THE  SAW     J  HE  SAW 
TABLE 

•  EMERY  WHEEL 


SCROLL  SAW 


FlG.   17.     THE  CHEAPEST  WOOD  TURNING  LATHE  MADE 


40  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

by  the  Millers  Falls  Company,  Millers  Falls,  N.  Y., 
and  it  costs  $10.50.  It  has  a  long  and  a  short  rest, 
three  turning  tools  and  a  2  inch  face  plate  and  spur 
center.  When  you  get  it  uncrate  it,  set  it  up,  oil  it 
well  and  you  are  ready  to  do  some  turning.  The  lathe 
is  shown  complete  in  Fig.  17. 

Attachments  for  the  Companion  Lathe. —  This  lathe 
is  fitted  with  a  4  inch  emery  wheel  without  extra 
charge.  A  very  useful  attachment  is  a  circular  saw 
3  inches  in  diameter  and  a  saw  table  6x7  inches  with 
a  straight  edge  guide;  it  costs  $1.25  extra.  A  scroll 
saw  attachment  that  can  be  clamped  on  the  lathe  bed 
may  be  bought  for  $3.00  extra.  Both  of  these  at- 
tachments are  shown  in  Fig.  17.  Of  course  better 
and  larger  lathes  can  be  had  for  more  money. 

Turning  Tools  for  Wood. —  The  tools  used  for 
turning  wood  13  are  simply  chisels  and  gouges.  The 
chisels  are  made  with  four  kinds  of  points,  namely, 
(i)  skew  point;  (2)  round  point;  (3)  square  point, 
and  (4)  spear  point,  and  these  are  shown  in  Fig  18. 
These  chisels  can  be  bought  in  all  sizes  from  %  inch 
to  i  inch  wide. 

Gouges  also  come  in  sizes  from  %  inch  up  to  i  inch, 
and  a  parting  tool,  which  is  used  to  cut  off  a  turned 
piece  and  which  is  simply  a  V  shaped  chisel,  can  be  had 
in  l/z,  %  and  %  inch  sizes.  These  turning  tools  are 
also  shown  in  Fig.  18.  You  can  buy  them  fitted  with 
applewood  handles  and  sharpened  ready  for  use  for 
about  50  cents  apiece.  You  can  buy  them  of  hard- 

18  Buck  Bros.'  turning  tools  for  wood  are  counted  best 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING    41 

ware  dealers  or  of  Hammacher,  Schlemmer  and  Co., 
Fourth  Ave.  and  I3th  Street,  New  York. 


SKEW  POINT 


ROUND  POINT  SPE/JR  POINT 

SQUAREPOINT 


THE   GOUGE 


THE  PARTING  TOOL 

FlG.  l8.      A  SET  OF  WOOD  TURNING  TOOLS 

How  to  Turn  Wood. —  Before  you  can  turn  out  a 
really  good  job  on  a  lathe  you  must  practice  awhile. 
A  good  thing  to  try  your  hand  on  is  to  make  some  tool 
handles.  The  size  of  these  will,  of  course,  depend 
on  what  you  intend  to  use  them  for. 

Take  a  stick  of  wood,  round  or  square,  it  doesn't 
in  the  least  matter,  a  couple  of  inches  longer  and  a 
trifle  larger  than  the  largest  diameter  that  the  handle 
is  to  be  and  drive  one  end  against  the  spurs  of  the 
face  plate  as  shown  in  Fig.  19. 

This  done  screw  up  the  feed  of  the  tailstock  until 
the  back-center  is  forced  into  the  end  of  the  wood 


42  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

about  %  of  an  inch ;  clamp  the  rest  so  that  it  comes  to 
within  %  an  inch  of  the  wood  you  are  going  to  turn 
and  you  are  ready  for  work. 

Now  put  your  foot  on  the  treadle  and  work  it  up 


FlG.   IQ.      PUTTING  THE  ROUGH  WOOD  IN  THE  LATHE 

and  down;  very  soon  the  speed  of  the  drive  wheel  will 
carry  it  round  smoothly  and  it  will  deliver  considerable 
power  to  the  pulley  of  the  headstock.  If  the  drive 


FlG.  20.      THE  RIGHT  WAY  TO  HOLD  A  WOOD  WORKING  TOOL 

wheel  is  5  times  as  large  as  the  pulley  and  you  treadle 
the  drive  wheel  100  times  every  minute,  the  stick  of 
wood  which  you  want  to  turn  will  revolve  500  times  a 
minute. 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     43 

When  you  have  the  wood  rotating  at  about  this 
speed  grip  the  handle  of  it  firmly  with  your  right 
hand,  lay  the  back  of  the  chisel  on  the  rest  and  press 
down  on  the  blade  with  your  left  hand  as  shown  in 
Fig.  20.  Of  course  the  top  edge  of  the  wood  is  turn- 
ing toward  you. 

Whatever  you  do  when  you  are  roughing  down  a 
stick  of  wood  don't  try  to  take  off  too  large  a  cut. 
Go  at  it  very  gently  with  the  point  of  your  chisel  and 
as  it  begins  to  cut  you  can  swing  the  tool  around  so 
that  the  whole  width  of  the  blade  is  cutting. 

Gouges  are  used  in  the  same  way  as  chisels  and  with 
them  you  can  turn  out  hollow  parts.  A  parting  tool 
is  used  for  cutting  off  the  ends  of  the  wood  after  you 
have  finished  turning  it. 


SIZING  WITH  A  PAIR 
OF  CALIPERS 


fi  REGULAR. 
SIZM6  TOOL 

FlG     21.      SIZING   THE   TURNED   WORK 

When  you  want  to  turn  a  piece  of  wood  down  to  a 
given  size  you  can  do  so  by  testing  it  with  a  pair  of  cal- 


44  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

ipers,  as  shown  in  Fig.  21,  or  you  can  size  it  with  a 
regular  sizing  tool.  To  size  the  work  measure  off  the 
distance  between  the  points  of  the  calipers  with  a 
rule  for  whatever  thickness  you  want  the  turned  part ; 
then  as  you  turn  the  wood  you  can  try  it  from  time 
to  time  until  the  wood  will  just  slip  through  between 
the  points. 

The  Art  of  Wood  Carving 

Carving  is  by  all  odds  the  hardest  of  all  wood- 
working processes  to  learn  and  yet  there  are  some 
simple  forms  of  it  that  are  at  once  easy  to  do  and 
pretty  to  look  at.  While  carving  is  an  art  in  itself 
it  can  be  used  with  fine  effect  in  combination  with 
some  kinds  of  scroll  sawed  and  turned  work. 

Your  Set  of  Carving  Tools. —  To  begin  with  you 
can  get  along  very  well  with  a  set  of  six  carving  tools. 
A  set  of  this  number  is  made  up  of  a  %  inch,  a  /4 
inch,  a  /•£  inch  and  a  %6  inch  straight  shank  carving 
tools  and  two  of  these  are  chisels  and  four  are  gouges, 
so  you  see  that  they  are  just  about  the  same  as  car- 
penters' and  turners'  chisels  and  gouges.  Such  a  set 
of  tools  costs  about  $3.00. 

A  better  set  contains  a  dozen  carving  tools  and  this 
includes  the  above  tools  as  well  as  a  couple  of  bent 
fluting  gouges,  with  Ys  and  %  inch  sweeps,  a  couple 
of  front  bent  tools,  a  straight  parting  tool,  and  a  vein- 
ing  tool,  all  of  which  is  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  22 ;  the 
sweeps,  as  the  curved  cutting  edges  are  called,  are 
shown  at  B. 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     45 

The  tangs  of  these  tools,  that  is  the  sharp  ends 
which  fit  into  the  handles,  have  shoulders  on  them 
to  prevent  the  handles  from  creeping  and  splitting. 
The  best  carving  tools  on  the  market  are  those  made 
by  S.  J.  Addis  of  London,  and  you  can't  go  wrong  if 
you  buy  them. 


STRAIGHT  CHISEL 

/~ ~^^2J_^  ^i 

SKEW  CH/SEL 

STRAIGHT  GOUGE 

.17  U  =- 

FLUTING  GOUGE 


SHORT  BEND  GOUGE 
STRAIGHT  PARTIHGTOOL 
LO KG  BEND  GOUGE. 
FRONT  BEND  GOUGE 
VEIHING  TOOL 


BE  NT  FILE. 


Ill))))) 


B 


CARVER'S  MALLET 


SWEEPS  OF  WOOD 
CARy  ING  TOOLS 

FlG.   22.      KINDS   AND   SWEEPS   OF  CARVING  TOOLS 

Carving  tools  as  they  come  from  the  makers  are 
sharpened  but  not  honed,  that  is  the  tools  are  ground 
sharp,  but  the  inside  bevel  of  the  tools  must  be  rubbed 
up  with  an  oil  stone  slip  and  most  wood  carvers  like 
to  do  this  themselves. 

When  you  buy  a  set  of  carving  tools  you  also  want 


46 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


to  get  a  carver's  mallet  made  of  lignum-vitce  14  with  a 
face  2%  inches  in  diameter  and,  as  you  will  see  in  Fig. 
21,  its  shape  is  quite  different  from  the  ordinary  kinds. 
Also  get  a  Washita  oil  stone,  and  an  Arkansas  carv- 


FlG.  23.      MARKERS  FOR  STAMPING  IN  BACKGROUNDS 

ing  tool  slip,  which  is  a  small  wedge-shaped  oil-stone. 
Two  or  more  markers,  which  are  stamps  made  of 
tool  steel,  are  very  useful  for  stamping  in  background 
work.  A  number  of  different  designs  are  shown  in 
Fig.  23  and  they  cost  about  a  quarter  apiece. 

WORK  TO  /A 


Asm 

A  CARVERS  V/SE 
A  HAND  CLAMP 

FlG.  24.      SCHEMES  FOR  HOLDING  WORK  WHEN  CARVING 

To  hold  the  work  while  you  are  carving  it  you  can 
make  two  or  more  snibs  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  24. 

14  Lignum-vitce  is   a  greenish-brown  wood  and  is  very  hard 
and  heavy.    It  grows  in  tropical  America. 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING    47 

These  little  clamps  are  sawed  out  pieces  of  wood  with 
an  ordinary  wood  screw  through  the  thick  end,  and 
when  you  want  to  carve  a  flat  piece  of  work  clip  it  with 
a  couple  of  snibs  and  screw  the  latter  to  your  bench. 
A  better  scheme  is  to  use  a  couple  of  hand  screws  as 
shown  at  B.  For  carving  in  relief  you  will  need  a 
wood-carver's  vise  as  shown  at  C. 

The  Best  Woods  for  Carving. —  A  wood  that  is 
suitable  for  carving  must  be  tough,  even  grained  and 
free  from  knots.  For  a  beginner,  and  I  guess  you  are 
one,  yellow  pine  is  a  good  wood  to  practice  on  as  it 
is  soft  and  easy  to  work  but  you  must  be  careful  not 
to  splinter  it  along  the  grain. 

Oak  is  much  tougher  but  it  is  a  fine  wood  for  carv- 
ing and  you  will  not  need  to  take  the  care  to  prevent 
splintering  as  with  pine.  Black  walnut  and  mahogany 
are  beautiful  woods  and  are  nice  to  carve,  while  for 
finer  work  apple,  pear,  sycamore  and  California  red- 
wood are  largely  used. 

Kinds  of  Wood  Carving. —  There  are  three  kinds 
of  wood  carving  in  general  and  these  are  (i)  chip,  or 
surface  carving,  (2)  panel  or  relief  carving,  and  (3) 
figure  carving,  as  shown  in  Fig.  25. 

When  you  cut  your  initials  in  the  top  of  your  desk 
at  school  you  made  a  primitive  attempt  at  what  is 
called  chip  carving.  Most  likely  you  got  the  birch 
for  it  but  it  was  only  the  savage  instinct  for  decorative 
art  that  was  trying  to  find  expression  in  you,  and  so 
it's  not  your  fault.  (But  don't  do  it  again.)  Any 
kind  of  carving  on  a  flat  surface  is  called  chip  carv- 


48  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

ing,  and  some  of  it  is  very  beautiful.     It  is  shown 
at  A. 

Panel  carving  is  done  on  flat  pieces  of  wood  also 
but  the  design  is  made  by  cutting  out  or  sinking  the 


-  FANCY  PANEL 


FIGURE  CflRV/MG 

FlG.   25.      KINDS  OF  CARVING 

ground,  as  shown  at  B.  Sometimes  when  it  is  desira- 
ble to  make  some  part  stand  out  in  relief  above  the 
surface  it  is  carved  out  of  a  separate  piece  of  wood 
and  planted  on,  that  is  glued  on. 

To  carve  a  lily  of  the  valley  or  a  deer's  head  out  of 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     49 


a  solid  block  of  wood  is  not  as  easy  as  the  other  kinds 
of  carving,  but  if  you  have  a  natural  aptitude  for 
using  tools  and  an  eye  for  art  you  can  succeed  as  well 
as  the  next  one. 


ll/iK/f      LJ 


WTCHGOES 
INHERE 


—    3%    — 

FlG.  25D.      A  CARVED  WATCH   CASE  HOLDER 

Chip  Carving. —  You  will  need  only  three  tools  for 
chip  carving  and  these  are  (i)  a  %  inch  chisel;  (2) 
a  parting  tool  and  (3)  a  veining  tool. 

The  first  thing  is  to  get  the  design  you  want  to 
carve  on  the  board.  To  do  this  you  can  either 


50  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

draw  the  design  directly  on  the  board,  or,  better,  lay 
a  sheet  of  impression  paper  on  the  board  and  then 
the  design  you  want  to  transfer  on  top  of  it  and  trace 
it  with  a  lead  pencil. 

Screw  the  board  to  your  bench  with  two  or  more 
snibs  and  you  are  ready  for  work.  Carve  out  the 
heavier  lines  with  the  parting  tool  and  the  lighter 
lines  with  the  veining  tool.  Use  the  chisel  to  cut 
the  corners  sharp  and  make  the  lines  clean  and  even. 
In  chip  carving  grounds  are  never  put  in. 

Panel  Carving. —  In  this  kind  of  carving  leaves, 
berries,  scrolls  and  the  like  are  carved  out  of  the  sur- 
face of  the  board  and  as  the  ground  is  sunk  these  ob- 
jects stand  out  in  relief. 

Begin  by  drawing,  or  transferring,  the  pattern  to 
the  board  as  before;  then  cut  it  out  with  gouges  and 
chisels  as  shown  at  A  and  finally  use  the  veining  tool 
for  the  radiating  lines.  The  head  can  be  carved  out 
of  a  separate  piece  of  wood  glued  to  the  ground,  or 
planted  on  as  it  is  called.  The  work  can  be  oiled 
and  polished  but  never  varnish  it.  It  is  shown  fin- 
ished at  C. 

To  make  a  watch  case  holder  like  the  one  shown 
at  D  saw  out  a  piece  of  walnut,  or  other  wood,  % 
inch  thick  and  draw  on  the  design. 

Carve  the  cross  and  lower  part  of  the  case  by 
chipping  it;  carve  the  leaves  in  relief  and  put  in  the 
veins  with  the  veining  tool.  Now  saw  out  another 
piece  for  the  pocket  I  inch  thick  and  carve  out  the 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     51 

front  and  the  back  to  the  shape  shown  at  D  so  that  it 
is  only  %  inch  thick  when  finished  and  glue  it  to  the 
other  part  when  you  will  have  a  watch  case  holder  of 
the  vintage  of  1875. 

Carving  in  Solid  Wood. —  This  ranges  all  the  way 
from  carving  simple  leaves  as  shown  at  D  to  the  hu- 
man form  divine. 

To  carve  out  leaves  on  a  flat  surface  draw  the  de- 
sign as  before  and  carve  them  out  with  your  gouge  to 
look  as  much  like  real  leaves  as  you  can  and  to 
give  them  the  final  touch  of  beauty  cut  the  veins  in 
with  your  veining  tool. 

For  carving  out  heads,  as  for  example  the  one 
shown  at  C,  mark  the  shape  of  the  object  which  you 
intend  to  carve  on  the  sides  of  the  block  as  it  would 
look  if  you  cut  it  down  through  the  middle.  Now 
screw  up  the  block  in  your  vise  and  cut  away  the  sides 
with  your  chisels  and  gouges,  using  the  mallet  to  do 
it  with.  All  you  want  to  do  at  first  is  to  get  the  rough 
shape  of  the  figure. 

When  you  have  done  this  you  can  go  ahead  and 
finish  up  the  work  with  your  chisels  and  gouges.  To 
give  the  carving  a  life-like  appearance  do  not  use  files 
or  sandpaper  on  it  and  do  not  varnish  or  polish  it. 

Pyrography,  or  Wood  Burning 

This  is  a  simple  and  pleasing  art  and  one  that  is 
easy  to  practice.  It  gets  its  didactic  name  from  the 


52  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Greek  word  pyro,  which  means  fire,  and  graph,  to 
write,  that  is  writing  with  fire,  only  in  pyrography 
you  draw  with  fire  instead. 

The  Necessary  Tools. —  The  chief  tool  you  need 
is  called  an  etching  tool.  This  is  formed  of  a  piece 
of  iron,  copper  or  platinum  with  a  curved  point  which 
is  heated  in  a  flame  until  it  is  red  or  white  hot. 
When  it  is  hot  you  press  the  curved  point  against  the 
wood  upon  which  you  have  drawn  the  design  and  it 
burns  the  lines  into  it. 


/?-  THE  ETCHING  TOOL 


-  COMPLETE  W/THHWDLE 

FlG.  26.     THE  TOOL  USED  FOR  PYROGRAPHY 

How  to  Make  an  Etching  Tool. —  Get  a  piece  of 
copper  rod  %  inch  in  diameter  and  3  inches  long;  file 
one  end  down  to  a  point  to  the  shape  shown  at  A  and 
B  in  Fig.  26  and  put  a  file  handle  on  the  other  end. 

How  to  Make  an  Alcohol  Lamp. —  The  etching  tool 
must  be  heated  in  either  an  alcohol  or  a  Bunsen  flame. 
You  can  make  an  alcohol  lamp  of  an  ink  bottle  that  will 
serve  the  purpose  very  well.  Make  a  hole  in  the  cork 
about  %  inch  in  diameter  and  make  a  tin  tube  i  inch 
long  that  will  fit  it  snugly.  Braid  a  wick  of  string  and 
put  it  through  the  tin-tube;  fill  the  bottle  with  alco- 
hol and  your  lamp  is  done.  If  you  can  get  gas  you 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     53 

can  use  a   Bunsen  burner 15   which  makes  a  hotter 
flame  and  is  less  trouble. 

A  Better  Outfit. — A  good  outfit  which  has  a  plati- 
num pointed  tool  and  burns  alcohol  vapor,  see  C,  can 


C~ 

FlG.  26C.      AN   OUTFIT  THAT  BURNS  BENZINE  VAPOR 

be  bought  for  $3.00  and  more.16  If  you  have  gas  in 
your  house  you  can  buy  a  tool  which  uses  it  for  50 
cents  or  less. 

About  the  Designs. —  If  you  are  good  at  drawing 
you  can  make  your  own  designs,  but  if  not  you  can  buy 
them  ready  to  use.  Draw  your  designs  on  soft  white 
pine  or  basswood  with  a  soft  lead  pencil  having  a 
blunt  point.  Photo  frames,  plaques,  tie  racks,  collar 
boxes  and  things  which  you  can  saw  out  on  your 
scroll  saw  are  greatly  improved  by  burning. 

How  to  Burn  in  the  Design. —  Heat  the  tool  until 
it  is  red-hot,  or  if  it  is  platinum  until  it  is  white  hot 
as  shown  at  D.  Hold  the  tool  as  shown  at  E  and 

15  Can   be  bought   of   the  L.   E.   Knott   Apparatus   Company, 
Boston,  Mass. 

16  Everything  needed  for  pyrography  can  be  had  of  the  Frost 
and  Adams  Co.,  Cornhill,  Boston. 


54  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

without  using  too  much  pressure  draw  and  push  the 

point  along  the  lines  until  they  are  burnt  in  evenly. 

When  you  have  burnt  in  the  design  burn  in  the 

background  by  making  a  lot  of  closely  spaced  lines; 


FlG.  26D.      HOW  THE  TOOL  IS   HEATED 

then  burn  in  more  parallel  lines  across  the  first  set. 
This  produces  a  cross-hatched  effect  which  at  a  dis- 
tance makes  the  design  stand  out  in  bold  relief. 


FlG.    26E.     BURNING    IN    THE   DESIGN 

When  you  have  become  a  little  expert  you  can  shade 
the  design  but  don't  try  it  until  you  can  burn  the  lines 
in  evenly. 

Coloring  and  Staining  Wood. —  Stains  and  dyes 


SCROLL  SAWING,  WOOD  TURNING     55 

of  all  colors  can  be  bought  of  the  Devoe  and  Reynolds 
Company,  101  Fulton  Street,  New  York. 

Ebony  Stain. —  Brush  the  wood  with  a  saturated 
solution  of  ferrous-sulphate  and  it  will  make  it  inky 
black.  When  used  on  white  holly,  or  any  other  close 
grained  wood,  it  gives  it  a  real  ebony  look.  Put  the 
solution  on  with  a  soft  brush.  After  the  ebony  stain 
has  been  used  the  wood  should  be  polished  with  wax 
to  give  it  a  dull  finish. 

1' umcd  Oak. —  Oak  can  be  colored  a  beautiful  brown 
by  putting  it  in  a  box  with  a  tight  fitting  lid  in  which 
is  a  saucer  of  ammonia ;  paste  up  the  cracks  around  the 
lid  tight  and  leave  it  for  a  couple  of  days  when  it  will 
take  on  a  brown  color  which  is  known  by  the  trade 
name  of  fumed  oak. 


CHAPTER  III 
METALS  AND  METAL  WORKING 

THERE  is  something  about  working  metals  that 
makes  a  tremendously  strong  appeal  to  a  fellow  and  yet 
it  is  just  as  easy  to  fashion  these  elements  as  it  is  to 
shape  wood,  that  is,  if  you  have  the  right  kind  of  tools 
to  do  it  with. 

Then  there  is  another  good  thing  about  working 
metals  and  that  is  the  tools  you  need  don't  cost  very 
much  and  you  can  soon  make  enough  useful  things 
to  pay  for  them. 

Metal  working,  like  wood  working,  can  be  divided 
into  two  classes  and  these  are  ( i )  the  strictly  prac- 
tical, and  (2)  the  purely  ornamental,  but  you  can  often 
combine  them  in  an  object  which  possesses  both  utility 
and  artistic  merit. 

It  is  my  intention  to  tell  you  in  this  chapter  about 
the  tools  that  you  need  to  do  ordinary  metal  work, 
such  as  sawing,  drilling,  bending,  filing,  etc.  As  in 
working  wood  you  ought  to  have  a  bench,  or  a  good 
strong  table  will  do. 

Your  Kit  of  Tools. —  To  work  metals  you  will  need 
certain  tools  according  to  the  kind  of  work  you  intend 
lo  do.  If  you  get  all  of  those  I  have  listed  below  you 
56 


METAL  WORKING  57 

will  have  nearly  all  the  hand  tools  you  need  to  do  any 
kind  of  a  job  that  may  come  up.  The  following  list 
is  quite  a  full  one  and  a  kit  which  includes  all  of  them 
will  cost  in  the  neighborhood  of  fifteen  dollars.  You 
don't  need  to  buy  all  of  them  at  once,  however,  but 
just  get  a  tool  at  a  time  as  you  must  have  it  until  your 
kit  is  complete. 

The  Various  Kinds  of  Tools. —  Metal  working 
tools  are  tempered  harder  than  wood  working  tools 
and  are  made  of  what  is  known  as  tool-steel. 

For  your  kit  of  machinists'  tools  get  (i)  a  ball  pein 
hammer  which  weights  about  8  ounces  —  this  is  a 
regular  machinists'  hammer;  (2)  a  pair  of  4  inch  side 
cutting  pliers;  (3)  a  pair  of  8  inch  tinners'  snips 
which  makes  a  2  inch  cut;  (4)  a  jeweler's  adjustable 
saw  frame;  (5)  a  hack  saw  frame  to  hold  an  8  inch 
saw  blade;  (6)  a  hand  drill  stock  with  a  chuck  for 
holding  round  shank  drills  from  o  to  %e  inch  in  di- 
ameter. 

(7)  Four  Morse  twist  drills  Me,  %2,  Vs  and  %e 
inch  in  diameter;  (8)  a  6  inch  steel  rule,  gradu- 
ated into  8ths,  i6ths,  32nds  and  64ths  of  an  inch;  (9) 
a  machinist's  steel  square  with  a  2%  inch  blade;  (10) 
a  pair  of  3  inch  spring  dividers;  (n)  a  pair  of  3  inch 
inside  spring  calipers;  (12)  a  pair  of  3  inch  outside 
calipers;  (13)  a  center  punch;  (14)  a  No.  i  set  of 
screw  cutting  taps  and  dies,  this  set  contains  a  stock  or 
handle  and  five  taps  and  five  dies  which  cut  %4,  %4> 
%2,  %6,  and  %2  inch  in  diameter. 

(15)  A    few    files  —  flat,   hand,    round   and   half- 


T/NNERS  SNIPS 


SOLDERING  COPPER  AND 
ALCOHOL  LAMP 


FLAT  NOSE  SIDE 
CUTTING  PLIERS 


FLAT  NOSE  PUERS 


ROUND  NOSE  PLIERS 


A  BENCH    LEVEL 


A  W/RE  GUAGE 


ft  ROSE  COUNTERSINK 


A  TAPER.  REAMER 


OIL  CAN  A WD  O/LSTONE 


SET  OF  SCREW  CUTTING 
TAPS  AND  DIES 


MACHINISTS  V/S£ 


FlG.  27.     THE  CHIEF  METAL  WORKING  TOOLS 

58 


JEWELLERS HAMHE* 


BALL  PEIN  HAMMER 


HAND  DRILL  STOCK  AND  DRILL 


SPRING  CALIPERS       SPRING  CALIPERS 
SPRING  DIVIDERS  OUTSIDE  INSIDE 


JEWELLERS  ADJUSTABLE 
FRAME. 


HACKSAW 


6"  STEEL  RULE 


MACHINISTS  STEEL  SQUAtt. 


CENTER  PUNCH 


COLD  CHISEL 


1-5HE.LL  SQUARE  TAPER 
Z- ROUND  OR  R/)T  7/f/L 

OK  FL.SJT 
KINDS  OFF/LES 


FlG.  28.      SOME  OTHER  METAL  WORKING  TOOLS 

59 


60  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

round  in  shape  and  the  smooth  and  second  cut  will  be 
the  most  useful;  (16)  several  screw  drivers,  small  and 
large;  (17)  a  soldering  copper  that  weighs  about  %  a 
pound;  (18)  a  can  of  soldering  paste,  or  you  can  make 
a  soldering  fluid  yourself,  and  (19)  an  alcohol  lamp, 
which  I  told  you  how  to  make  in  the  last  chapter,  or 
a  Bunsen  burner  if  you  have  a  supply  of  gas,  and  (20) 
a  machinist's  vise.  All  of  these  tools  are  shown  in 
Figs.  27  and  28. 

Some  Hints  on  Using  the  Tools. —  ( i )  When 
you  want  to  rivet  something  use  the  ball  pein  end  of 
the  hammer  to  pound  down  the  end  of  the  rivet  as  this 
will  spread  it  out  in  every  direction  evenly  and  you 
can  make  is  nice  and  round.  (2)  Side  cutting  pliers 
are  useful  to  hold  and  bend  bits  of  metal  with  and  to 
cut  off  pieces  of  wire  as  well.  (3)  Tinner's  snips  are 
simply  large  powerful  shears  and  you  can  cut  sheet 
metal  up  to  %2  of  an  inch  thick  with  an  ordinary  pair. 
When  you  cut  a  sheet  of  heavy  metal  with  them  let 
the  lower  blade  and  handle  rest  on  your  bench  and  you 
can  get  a  better  leverage  on  it.  Metals  that  are  thicker 
than  %2  inch  must  be  sawed. 

(4)  While  metals  can  be  sawed  by  using  a  special 
saw  blade  in  a  scroll  saw  frame  you  should  use  a 
jeweler's  saw  frame  with  jeweler's  saws  for  metal  — 
I  prefer  the  Fish  Brand  for  fine  work.  (5)  For 
heavier  work  use  a  machinist's  hack  saw ;  put  the  piece 
of  metal  in  a  vise  and  have  the  part  you  want  to  saw 
close  to  the  jaws  of  the  vise  so  that  it  will  not  vibrate; 
use  a  little  pressure  on  the  outward,  or  cutting  stroke, 


METAL  WORKING  61 

and  let  up  on  it  as  you  draw  the  saw  back  or  you  will 
dull  the  teeth. 

(6)  In  using-twist  drills,  and  these  are  the  only  satis- 
factory kind  for  metal  work,  be  mighty  careful  not  to 
press  too  hard  on  the  drill  stock  and  don't  try  to 
crowd  the  drill  into  cutting  taster  than  it  will  cut  at 
the  speed  with  which  it  is  turning.  In  drilling  iron 
keep  plenty  of  oil  on  the  drill  point. 

(7)  You  can  measure  much  more  accurately  with 
a  steel  rule  than  you  can  with  a  wood  rule  and  whereas 
measurements  in  cabinet  work  down  to  Me  inch  are 
close  enough,  for  metal  work  it  should  not  be  more 
than  %2nd  of  an  inch,  and  for  machine  work  make 
your  measurements  to  %4th  of  an  inch.  (8)  A  small 
steel  square  is  better  in  every  way  for  metal  work 
than  a  carpenters'  try  square  but  you  will  find  it  quite 
expensive. 

(9)  The   advantage   of   spring   dividers   over   the 
ordinary  kind  is  that  you  can  set  them  very  accurately 
and  they  will  stay  where  you  set  them.     In  scribing  a 
circle  with  a  pair  of  dividers  mark  the  center  with 
your  center  punch  first  as  this  will  prevent  your  di- 
viders from  slipping. 

( 10)  Inside  calipers  are  used  for  measuring  the 
inside  diameters  of  cylinders  and  the  like,  and,  con- 
versely ( 1 1 ) ,  outside  calipers  are  used  for  measuring 
the  outside  of  anything  that  is  round.     In  either  case 
you  measure  the  distance  between  the  points  of  your 
caliper  with  your  rule  to  find  the  diameter  of  the 
thing.     (12)  A  center  punch  is  always  useful  to  make 


62  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

a  starting  point  in  metal  with,  for  it  can't  be  rubbed 
off  or  lost  sight  of. 

(13)  A  set  of  taps  and  dies  to  cut  screw  threads 
with  in  metal  of  whatever  kind  is  a  joy  forever.     All 
metal  work  becomes  easy  if  you  have  a  set  of  these 
screw  cutting  tools  and  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  make 
things  if  you  haven't  got  them. 

When  you  are  cutting  threads  in  a  piece  of  metal 
with  the  tap,  the  hole  in  the  metal  must  of  course 
be  a  trifle  smaller  than  the  diameter  of  the  tap;  the 
tap  is  put  into  a  handle  called  a  stock  and  as  you  cut 
the  threads  in  the  metal  don't  turn  the  stock  con- 
tinuously around  but  give  it  one  complete  turn  forward 
and  then  half-a-turn  backward  and  you  will  be  less 
apt  to  break  the  tap. 

The  same  method  holds  good  when  you  are  cutting 
threads  on  a  rod  with  a  die;  in  this  case  the  rod  must 
be  a  little  larger  than  the  hole  in  the  die.  In  thread- 
ing iron  use  plenty  of  oil  on  the  tap  or  die,  but 
for  brass  and  the  softer  metals  a  lubricant  is  not 
needed. 

(14)  In  filing  work  press  down  on  the  outward 
or  cutting  stroke  and  ease  up  on  the  file  on  the  re- 
turn stroke  for  the  teeth  of  a  file  are  set  like  the 
teeth  of  a  saw,  that  is,  so  that  the  cut  is  made  on  the 
out  stroke. 

A  small  file  can  be  held  in  one  hand  and  the  work 
you  are  filing  in  the  other  which  can  be  rested  on  the 
edge  of  the  bench  but  heavier  work  must  be  put  in  a 
vise  and  the  file  held  firmly  by  the  handle  with  one 


METAL  WORKING  63 

hand  and  the  end  steadied  and  guided  by  the  fingers 
of  your  other  hand. 

(15)  In  putting  in  a  screw  always  use  the  largest 
size  screw-driver  whose  blade  will  fit  the  slot  in  the 
head  of  the  screw;  this  will  prevent  the  blade  of  the 
screw-driver  from  twisting  the  edges  of  the  slot  out 
of  shape. 

(16)  Before  a  soldering  copper  can  be  used,  if  it 
is  a  new  one,  it  must  be  tinned,  that  is  the  point  of 
it  must  be  coated  with  solder.     To  tin  it  get  a  pine 
board  about  I  inch  thick,  4  inches  wide  and  6  inches 
long,  and  put  some  brown  resin  and  bits  of  solder 
on  it. 

File  off  the  copper  until  the  point  is  sharp  and  it  is 
bright  and  smooth ;  heat  the  copper  and  then  melt 
the  resin  and  solder  on  the  board  with  it  and  rub  the 
copper  in  them  on  all  sides  until  a  film  of  solder  is 
formed  on  it. 

(17)  It  is  cheaper  to  buy  a  stick  of  soldering  paste 
than  it  is  to  make  it  but  you  can  easily  and  cheaply 
make  a  good  soldering  fluid  by  dissolving  a  teaspoon- 
ful  of  zinc  chloride  in  an  ink  bottle  full  of  clean  water. 

In  heating  the  soldering  iron  keep  it  near  the  tip 
of  the  flame;  if  you  use  an  alcohol  lamp  don't  have 
the  wick  too  high  and  if  you  use  a  Bunsen  burner 
adjust  the  openings  in  it  until  the  flame  is  as  nearly 
invisible  as  you  can  get  it. 

About  Sharpening  Tools. —  The  only  metal  working 
tools  you  will  need  to  sharpen  are  the  twist  drills  and 
these  can  be  sharpened  on  a  carborundum  oil  stone. 


64  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Hold  the  beveled  edge  of  the  drill  point  on  the  stone 
and  move  it  to  and  fro,  being  very  careful  to  keep  the 
drill  perfectly  straight  up  and  down  while  you  are 
sharpening  it. 

Metals  and  their  Uses. —  Like  woods  each  metal 
has  its  especial  uses  and  it  will  depend  largely  on  what 
you  are  going  to  make  as  to  the  kind  of  metal  you 
should  make  it  of. 

There  are  five  chief  metals  and  a  couple  of  alloys, 
which  are  formed  by  melting  and  mixing  two  or  more 
metals  together,  which  you  will  find  the  most  useful 
and  I  shall  describe  these  for  you  in  detail. 

Iron. —  This  is  the  most  useful  metal  we  have. 
When  it  is  pure  it  has  a  silvery  color,  is  very  tenacious, 
which  means  that  it  is  tough ;  it  is  malleable,  that  is  it 
can  be  hammered  without  cracking,  and  it  is  ductile  in 
that  it  can  be  drawn  out  into  wire  without  breaking. 

It  is  hard  to  get  pure  iron  for  nearly  all  of  it  con- 
tains a  small  percent  of  carbon,  silica,  phosphorus, 
sulphur  or  other  elements.  These  substances  in  iron 
give  it  different  properties.  For  instance  cast-iron 
has  a  large  amount  of  carbon  in  it;  this  kind  of  iron 
is  good  to  cast  into  molds  but  it  cannot  be  hammered 
or  drawn  without  danger  of  cracking  or  breaking. 

Wrought  iron  has  very  little  carbon  or  other  sub- 
stances in  it  and  this  makes  it  easy  to  work  because  it 
can  be  hammered  or  drawn.  Steel  contains  more  car- 
bon than  wrought  iron  but  it  has  less  carbon  than  cast 
iron ;  steel  can  be  cast,  forged,  tempered  and  hardened 
by  heating  it  red  hot  and  then  suddenly  cooling  it. 


METAL  WORKING  65 

Tin. —  This  is  a  white  metal  that  looks  very  much 
like  silver,  and  it  is  so  malleable  that  it  can  be  ham- 
mered out  into  very  thin  sheets  and  which  you  know 
so  well  as  tin-foil. 

It  is  not  found  in  very  many  places  but  the  ancients 
called  Britain  the  Tin  Islands  because  they  got  it  chiefly 
from  there.  What  we  ordinarily  call  tin  is  really 
tin  plate,  that  is  thin  sheet  iron  coated  with  tin,  and 
it  is  used  as  a  covering  for  other  metals  because  it 
does  not  rust  or  oxidize  in  air. 

Tin  is  largely  used  in  making  alloys  such  as  soft 
solder,  type-metal,  pewter,  etc.  It  has  a  very  low 
melting  point. 

Zinc. —  This  is  a  bluish  white  metal  and  though  it 
is  sometimes  found  in  a  pure  state  it  is  usually  found  in 
combination  with  other  elements. 

When  it  is  heated  to  different  temperatures  it  be- 
haves in  various  ways;  for  instance  when  it  is  cold  it 
is  quite  brittle,  but  at  100  to  150  degrees  Fahrenheit,1'1 
it  can  be  easily  rolled  into  sheets  and  rods;  curiously 
though  when  it  is  heated  to  200  degrees  or  over  it  gets 
brittle  again. 

Zinc  is  easy  to  cut  and  when  mixed  with  copper  it 
forms  the  alloy  we  know  as  brass. 

Lead. —  This  is  the  softest  metal  known  and  it  has 
a  bluish-gray  color.  It  is  very  heavy  and  melts  at  a 
low  temperature. 

17  The  Fahrenheit  thermometer  scale  is  the  one  generally  used 
in  this  country.  Fahrenheit  was  a  German  scientist  who  lived 
200  years  ago,  and  he  invented  the  mercurial  thermometer. 


66  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Lead  was  one  of  the  earliest  metals  known  and  if 
you  will  read  the  Book  of  Job  you  will  find  it  men- 
tioned there.  It  has  been  used  from  time  immemorial 
in  making  water-pipes,  utensils,  etc.,  and  the  ancient 
Romans  made  weights  of  it.  Since  it  is  so  soft  it 
can  be  easily  hammered  into  any  shape  or  it  can  be 
rolled  or  drawn. 

It  is  also  largely  used  in  forming  alloys  with  other 
metals,  thus  solder  is  made  of  50  parts  of  lead  and  50 
parts  of  tin;  type-metal  is  made  of  80  parts  of  lead 
and  20  parts  of  antimony;  and  pewter  is  made  of  25 
parts  of  lead  and  75  parts  of  tin. 

Copper. —  This  metal  is  found  in  a  pure  state  in 
large  quantities  around  Lake  Superior  in  the  United 
States  and  in  Chili,  South  America.  It  is  a  fairly 
hard  metal  of  a  reddish  color,  has  a  high  luster,  is 
malleable,  and  ductile. 

Long  before  iron  was  known  utensils  and  weapons 
for  the  chase  and  war  were  made  of  copper  and  copper 
tools  have  been  found  that  were  made  by  the  ancients 
and  tempered  even  as  steel  is  tempered  now,  but  the 
art  was  lost  when  iron  came  into  use. 

Copper  is  now  largely  used  in  the  arts  and  trades  as 
for  the  sheathing  and  bolts  of  ships,  the  conducting 
parts  of  electrical  apparatus,  in  making  alloys,  such 
as  bronze  of  which  tin  is  the  other  metal.  Copper  is 
easily  hammered  and  drawn  but  it  is  so  tough  that  it 
is  hard  to  saw  and  drill. 

It  does  not  oxidize  in  dry  air  but  in  moist  air  it 
gradually  changes  and  takes  on  a  layer  of  carbonate  of 


METAL  WORKING  67 

copper  which  gives  it  a  very  beautiful  and  artistic  ap- 
pearance and  makes  it  look  as  if  it  was  a  thousand 
years  old. 

Aluminum. —  This  metal  is  found  everywhere  in 
nature  but  as  it  is  never  found  free  it  is  only  in  the 
last  few  years  that  it  has  been  extracted  in  large  quan- 
tities and  cheaply  enough  to  bring  it  into  use. 

It  has  a  bright  bluish  white  color  nearly  like  that 
of  tin  and  is  the  lightest  common  metal  known.18  It 
does  not  tarnish  either  in  dry  or  moist  air ;  it  is  malle- 
able and  ductile  and  as  easy  to  work  as  brass  but  it  is 
very  hard  to  solder  but  there  are  soldering  compounds 
on  the  market  by  which  it  can  be  soldered.  Aluminum 
can  be  bought 19  in  sheets  of  any  thickness,  or  in  rods 
or  tubes  of  any  size. 

A  Few  Useful  Alloys. —  When  two  or  more  metals 
are  melted  together  and  mixed  they  form  what  is  called 
an  alloy. 

Brass. —  This  well  known  alloy  is  made  by  mixing 
zinc  with  copper.  There  are  twenty  or  more  differ- 
ent kinds  of  brass  but  common  brass  is  made  of  36 
parts  of  zinc  and  64  parts  of  copper. 

Brass  is  harder  than  copper  and  while  it  can  be 
hammered  and  drawn  it  is  not  nearly  as  malleable  or 
as  ductile  as  copper.  It  can  be  sawed,  drilled,  threaded 
and  machined  easily  and  is  about  the  best  alloy  you 
can  use  for  making  small  parts  of  machines. 

18  Aluminum    when    mixed    with    magnesium    makes    an    alloy 
called  magnaleum  and  this  is  lighter  than  aluminum  alone. 

19  Sold  by  the  Aluminum  Co.  of  America,  120  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


68  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Type-metal —  All  kinds  of  metals  shrink  when  they 
cool  after  being  run  into  a  mold  and  so  the  edges  of  the 
castings  are  never  very  sharp. 

Now  type  metal  which  is  an  alloy  made  of  80  parts 
of  lead  and  20  parts  of  antimony  will  expand  and 
this  is  the  reason  why  type  is  so  beautifully  clear  and 
sharp.  So  if  you  want  to  cast  little  parts  of  machines 
and  engines  and  the  like  you  can  do  a  good  job  by 
using  type-metal.  As  it  melts  at  a  low  temperature 
you  can  melt  it  in  an  iron  ladle  over  the  kitchen 
fire. 

Pewter. —  This  alloy,  which  is  made  of  75  parts  of 
tin  and  25  parts  of  lead,  in  Colonial  days  was  much 
used  for  making  all  kinds  of  table-ware  and  house- 
hold utensils  and  it  will  come  into  vogue  again 
I  hope.  More  will  be  said  about  this  alloy  and  how 
to  work  it  in  the  next  chapter. 

How  to  Do  Metal  Work. —  Now  that  you  know 
about  tools  and  the  properties  of  metals  there  are  a 
few  other  little  things  which,  if  you  will  bear  them 
in  mind,  will  enable  you  to  make  nearly  anything  you 
want  to.  The  first  has  to  do  with  drawing  and  the 
others  with  working  the  metals  themselves. 

First  Sketch  Your  Ideas. —  To  start  out  and  try 
to  make  an  object  which  you  have  in  mind  without 
sketching  it  on  paper  first  so  that  you  can  see  just 
what  size  to  cut  and  shape  it,  and  how  it  will  look 
when  you  have  finished  it,  is  the  first  step  toward  be- 
ing a  disappointed  boy. 

When  you  get  an  abstract  idea  for  a  design  or  a 


METAL  WORKING  69 

machine  that  you  want  to  put  in  concrete  form  take  a 
rule  and  compasses,  pencil  and  paper  and  draw  it  out 
to  scale,  that  is,  make  a  drawing  of  it  and  mark  the 
sizes,  or  dimensions,  of  each  part  just  as  it  should  be 
when  the  thing  is  done. 

By  roughly  sketching  the  object,  or,  better,  by  mak- 
ing an  accurate  working  drawing  of  it  before  you  do 
anything  else  you  will  save  time,  patience  and  ma- 
terials.20 

Sheet  Metal  Work. —  Cutting  and  Sawing. —  After 
having  traced  or  otherwise  marked  out  the  design  or 
shape  you  want  on  the  sheet  of  metal  with  the  sharp 
point  of  your  center  punch  or  an  awl,  or  scribed  it  with 
your  dividers  you  can  cut  it  out  with  your  snips  if  the 
sheet  is  thin  enough.  If  it  is  too  thick  to  be  sheared 
then  saw  it  out  with  your  jeweler's  or  hack  saw. 

Should  you  want  to  make  a  hole  or  an  open  design 
of  any  kind  in  thin  sheet  metal  you  can  easily  punch 
it  in  with  your  center  punch,  or  cut  it  out  with  a 
stencil  cutter's  chisel,  which  is  simply  a  very  sharp 
cold  chisel.21  But  should  the  metal  be  too  thick  to 
punch  or  cut  in  this  way  drill  a  small  hole  in  it 
and  you  can  then  saw  out  the  part  with  a  jeweler's 
saw  frame  and  blade  just  as  you  would  saw  out  a 
piece  of  wood  with  a  scroll  saw,  though  you  may  have 
to  hold  the  metal  in  a  vise. 

Making  Seams  and  Joints. —  The  next  thing  to  do 

20  How  to  make  working  drawings  is  explained  in  Chapter  V. 
Fuller  directions  will  be   found   in  Inventing  for  Boys,  by  the 
present  author,  published  by  Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company,  N.  Y. 

21  See  Chapter  VIII. 


7o 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


after  having  cut  out  the  different  pieces  of  metal  is  t(? 
put  them  together.  The  way  you  do  this  will  again 
depend  very  largely  on  the  thickness  of  the  metals,  but 
in  any  event  where  the  pieces  meet,  a  seam  or  a  joint 
must  be  made. 

If  the  metal  is  thin  the  pieces  can  be  lapped  and  then 
soldered  or  riveted  together  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  29 


D-  BUTT  JOINT   E-  BOX  LflP-    F-BOX  "  G-BUTT  & 

BOLTED  JOINT          GROOVEDSEAM  PIECED  JOINT 


H- CORNER  BUTT    \-CIRCULffR    J- CIRCULAR       K- CIRCULAR 
JOINT  SCREWED    LflP  SEAM   FOLDED  SE/fM    QV5RFOLDSEAH 

FlG.    29.      HOW    METAL    SEAMS    AND   JOINTS    ARE    MADE 


or  you  can  make  a  folded  seam  as  shown  at  B.  If, 
however,  the  metal  is  thick  you  can  make  a  lap  seam 
and  either  rivet  or  bolt  it  together  with  screws  having 
nuts  on  them  as  shown  at  C. 

A  strong  butt  scam  can  be  made  by  hard  soldering 
or  brazing  the  edges  together  but  it  takes  a  hot  flame 
and  considerable  skill  to  do  a  good  job  of  this  kind. 
Another  way  to  make  a  butt  seam  of  two  thick  sheets 


METAL  WORKING  71 

of  metal  is  to  lay  them  with  their  edges  together  and 
then  rivet  a  strip  or  plate  on  both  sides  of  them  as 
shown  at  D. 

In  making  corner  joints  one  or  both  edges  of  the 
sheet  should  be  bent  over  as  pictured  at  E  when  they 
can  be  soldered,  riveted  or  bolted  together;  or  a 
grooved  seam  can  be  made  as  shown  at  F  if  the  metal 
is  thin  enough. 

If  the  pieces  of  metal  are  say  Vie  inch  or  more 
thick  you  can  put  a  three  cornered  piece  of  metal  in 
the  corner  and  drill  and  thread  it  so  that  the  pieces 
which  form  the  butt  joint  can  be  screwed  to  it  as 
shown  at  G,  or  if  one  of  the  pieces  is  thick  enough 
you  can  drill  and  thread  it  and  screw  the  other  piece 
to  it  as  shown  at  H. 

When  putting  ends  on  tubes  and  cylinders  you  can 
make  a  circular  lap  seam  as  shown  at  I,  or  a  circular 
folded  seam  as  at  J  or  a  circular  overfolded  seam  as 
shown  at  K. 

How  to  Solder  Metals. —  The  great  secret  in 
soldering  metals  is  to  have  them  perfectly  clean  and 
then  if  you  use  the  right  kind  of  flux  and  the  proper 
solder  you  will  not  have  any  trouble. 

Fluxes. —  After  you  have  cleaned  the  surfaces  to  be 
soldered  you  must  use  a  flux  to  prevent  the  metal  from 
oxidizing  and  to  make  the  solder  stick.  Different 
metals  require  fluxes  of  different  kinds. 

When  soldering  bright  new  tinware  use  powdered 
resin  for  the  flux,  but  if  the  parts  are  old  then  scrape 


72  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

and  clean  them  well  and  use  a  flux  of  sine  chloride 
solution.  To  make  it  dissolve  5  cents'  worth  of  zinc 
chloride  —  which  is  muriate  of  zinc  —  in  a  small  clean 
inkbottle  full  of  warm  water;  or  you  can  make  the 
muriate  of  zinc  by  dissolving  some  zinc  clippings  in 
muriatic  acid  and  to  make  the  soldering  fluid  add  some 
water  to  it. 

This  kind  of  a  soldering  fluid  is  a  good  flux  for 
tin,  iron,  steel,  brass  and  copper.  It  is  good  for  all 
ordinary  work  but  it  must  be  washed  off  from  iron  or 
steel  as  it  will  rust  them  very  quickly.  To  solder  cop- 
per sal  ammoniac  can  be  used. 

The  only  kind  of  a  flux  to  solder  zinc  with  is  a 
solution  made  of  10  per  cent,  of  muriatic  acid  and  90 
per  cent,  of  water.  For  lead,  pewter  and  any  alloy 
with  lead  in  it  use  tallow,  Gallipoli  oil  or  Venice  tur- 
pentine. Resin  can  be  used  successfully  for  all  metals 
provided  they  are  scraped  bright  and  clean  before  they 
are  soldered. 

Solders. —  Just  as  certain  metals  require  given 
fluxes  so  also  do  these  metals  need  special  solders. 

For  soldering  tinware  a  fine  tinner's  solder  made 
of  i  part  of  tin  and  i  part  of  lead  flows  best.  For 
soldering  lead  use  a  fine  plumber's  solder  which  is 
formed  of  i  part  of  tin  and  2  parts  of  lead.  To  solder 
pewter  which  melts  at  a  low  temperature  use  a  pew- 
terer's  solder  which  is  composed  of  3  parts  of  lead  and 
i  part  of  bismuth. 

Bolts  and  Rivets. —  Where  two  pieces  of  metal  are 
to  be  fixed  together  so  that  they  can  be  taken  apart 


METAL  WORKING  73 

again,  machine  screws  with  nuts  on  them,  or  bolts,22 
will  be  found  useful. 

A  good  kind  of  rivet  for  small  work  is  known  as 
tinner's  rivets;  they  are  made  of  iron  and  have  a 
length  of  %2  of  a  inch.  Now  a  rivet  can  either  be 
hammered  down  so  that  the  point  spreads  out  and 
forms  a  burr,  or  a  washer,  which  is  called  a  burr,  can 
be  slipped  down  over  it  and  the  end  then  peined  down. 
Copper-rivets  as  small  as  %  inch  in  length  can  be 
bought  at  most  hardware  stores. 

Bending  Sheet  Metal. —  To  bend  a  metal  sheet  put 
it  on  a  wood  or  metal  form  and  pound  it  into  shape 
with  a  wooden  mallet. 

The  edges  of  a  piece  of  sheet  metal  can  be  bent 
either  by  pounding  it  over  the  sharp  corner  of  an  iron 
bar,  or  if  a  very  small  part  is  to  be  bent  use  a  pair  of 
round  or  flat  nose  pliers.  A  thick  piece  of  sheet  metal 
can  be  bent  by  putting  it  in  your  vise  and  pounding 
over  the  edge  with  a  hammer. 

Finishing  Up  Metals. —  Of  course  all  the  rough 
parts  must  be  smoothed  up  with  a  file;  then  use  emery 
paper  or  emery  cloth  to  rub  out  the  file  marks  and 
finally  finish  off  the  surface  by  polishing  it  with  cro- 
cus  23  put  on  with  a  cloth. 

Coloring  Metals. —  Many  things  that  you  make  of 
metal  can  be  greatly  improved  in  appearance  by  color- 
ing them. 

22  Machine  screws  and  bolts  for  model  work  can  be  bought  of 
Luther  H.  Wightman,  Boston,  Mass. 

23  Crocus  is  a  powder  made  of  iron  rust. 


74  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Bluing  Steel. —  First  polish  the  articles  and  clean 
them  by  immersing  them  in  a  hot  solution  of  caustic 
soda.  Now  put  the  screws,  or  whatever  it  is  you 
want  to  blue,  in  an  iron  pan  half  full  of  dry,  clean 
sand  and  heat  them  over  a  fire. 

Keep  moving  the  articles  around  with  a  pair  of 
tweezers  until  they  are  the  color  you  want  them  and 
then  drop  them  into  clean  oil. 

Bluing  Brass. —  Polished  pieces  of  brass  can  be  given 
a  fine  color  by  putting  them  in  a  solution  made  as  fol- 
lows: 

Stir  i%  drams  of  antimony  sulphide,24  2  ounces  of 
calcined  soda  in  %  of  a  pint  of  water;  to  this  solution 
add  2%  drams  of  kermes.  Stir  well,  filter  it  and  then 
mix  it  with  2%  drams  of  tartar,  5%  drams  of  hypo- 
sulphite of  soda  dissolved  in  %  pint  of  water  when  it  is 
ready  to  use. 

Giving  Brass  a  Green  Color. —  Make  a  solution  of 
2  ounces  of  copper  sulphate,  %  an  ounce  of  sal  am- 
moniac and  25  ounces  of  water.  Suspend  the  articles 
to  be  greened  in  the  solution  and  boil  it  until  you  get 
the  color  you  want. 

Giving  Brass  a  Dull  Look. —  First  clean  the  articles 
thoroughly;  then  mix  %  ounce  of  iron  rust  and  % 
ounce  of  white  arsenic  in  4  ounces  of  muriatic  acid. 
Use  a  brush  and  paint  the  articles  with  this  solution 
until  it  takes  on  the  proper  dull  appearance.  Then 
wipe  it  off,  oil,  dry  and  lacquer  it. 

24  This  and  all  other  chemicals  can  be  bought  of  Eimer  and 
Amend,  Fourth  Ave.  and  i8th  Street,  New  York. 


METAL  WORKING  75 

Frosting  Brass  Articles. —  Hang  the  brass  articles 
in  a  boiling  solution  of  caustic  potash,  wash  them 
off  in  clean  water  and  dip  them  in  nitric  acid  until  the 
oxide  is  gone,  wash  them  again  and  throw  them  in 
sawdust  to  dry;  heat  them  a  little  and  lacquer  while 
they  are  warm. 

Lacquering  Brass  and  Copper. —  To  lacquer  a  brass 
or  a  copper  article  dip  it  in  a  weak  solution  of  sul- 
phuric acid  and  water  and  then  wash  it  in  clean  water. 
Next  put  the  article  on  a  piece  of  sheet  iron  and  heat 
it  over  a  gas  jet  or  in  an  oven. 

It  must  not  be  heated  enough  to  color  it  but  just  so 
that  when  you  place  your  moistened  finger  to  it  it  will 
sizzle ;  now  put  on  the  lacquer  and  this  can  be  done  by 
brushing  the  article  over  with  a  camel's  hair  brush  or 
by  dipping  the  article  into  the  lacquer. 

How  to  Make  the  Lacquer. —  Put  I  ounce  of  tumeric 
powder,  2  drams  of  annatto  and  2  drams  of  saffron 
into  i  pint  of  alcohol. 

Let  it  stand  for  a  week  or  10  days  and  shake  it 
often;  pour  the  clear  liquid  into  a  bottle  and  put  in 
3  ounces  of  yellow  shellac ;  let  it  stand  for  a  couple 
of  weeks  more;  shake  it  often  and  pour  off  carefully. 
Then  you  can  put  it  on.  Lacquers  can  be  bought 
ready  made  from  Hanson  and  Van  Winkle,  Dealers  in 
Electroplating  Supplies,  Newark,  N.  J. 


CHAPTER  IV 

VENETIAN  IRON,  REPOUSSE,  PIERCED 
BRASS  AND  PEWTER  WORK 

Venetian  Bent  Iron  Work 

A  VERY  pretty  and  most  useful  kind  of  ornamental 
iron  work  came  into  vogue  in  Venice,  Italy,  a  long 
time  ago,  and  as  it  is  easy  to  do  and  you  need  only 
a  few  tools  and  inexpensive  materials  to  do  it  with, 
you  ought  to  try  your  hand  at  it. 

Venetian  iron  work  consists  of  bending  thin,  narrow 
strips  of  wrought  iron  into  scrolls  and  other  shapes 
and  then  fixing  them  together  with  little  iron  clamps 
called  binders. 

In  this  way  objects  such  as  egg  boilers,  candlestick 
sconces,  lanterns  and  brackets  to  hang  them  on,  photo- 
graph frames  and  helpful  and  artistic  creations  with- 
out end  can  be  made. 

The  Tools  You  Must  Have. —  You  will  need  very 
few  tools  for  making  Venetian  iron  work  and  these  are 
(i)  a  pair  of  flat  nose  5  inch  pliers;25  (2)  a  pair  of 
round  nose  5  inch  pliers;  (3)  a  box-wood  four-fold, 
2-foot  rule;  (4)  a  vise;  (5)  a  pair  of  tinner's  snips 

26  This  means  that  the  pliers  are  5  inches  long. 
76 


VENETIAN  IRON  77 

and  (6)  a  small  riveting  hammer,  all  of  which  are 
shown  in  Fig.  27. 

The  Materials  You  Need. —  The  work  is  made  of 
Vs2  inch  thick  soft  iron  strips  and  this  can  be  bought 2& 
in  four  different  widths,  namely  %,  %6,  %,  and  %  inch. 

In  general  it  is  the  best  practice  to  use  the  %6  and  % 
inch  wide  strips  for  all  designs  except  the  smallest  and 
largest.  The  strip  iron  comes  in  coils  of  50  feet  and 
the  prices  range  from  16  cents  to  25  cents  a  coil. 


COIL  OF  WROUGHT  LEAD  WIRE 

IRON  STRIP  FOR  MEASURING 

FlG.   3O.      MATERIALS    YOU    NEED   FOR  VENETIAN   IRON   WORK 

Then  you  will  need  a  package  of  binders  —  these 
are  merely  bits  of  strip  iron  cut  off  and  bent  as  shown 
in  Fig.  30,  they  come  in  four  widths  and  cost  about 
10  cents  a  hundred.  Also  get  a  couple  of  3  foot  pieces 
of  lead  wire  for  with  these  you  can  quickly  form  the 
scrolls  and  circles  you  intend  to  make  of  iron,  then 
straighten  them  out  and  accurately  measure  off  the 

26  Complete  manual  training  outfits  for  Venetian  bent  iron 
work  can  be  bought  of  Hammacher,  Schlemmer  and  Co.,  Fourth 
Avenue  and  I3th  St.,  New  York. 


78  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

length  of  iron  you  need.  They  cost  5  cents  a 
strip. 

What  to  Do  First. —  Making  a  Simple  Design. — 
The  first  thing  to  do  after  you  get  your  tools  and 
materials  together  is  to  draw  on  a  sheet  of  paper  the 
object  you  are  to  make  of  bent  iron. 

How  to  Make  a  Toaster. —  This  is  a  good  piece 
of  work  to  start  with  because  it  is  formed  chiefly  of 
straight  lines.  Draw  a  plan  of  it  as  shown  in  Fig. 
31,  full  size  and  then  measure  the  frame  and  the  in- 
side strips  —  you  will  observe  that  there  are  two  of 
the  latter  —  and  find  out  exactly  how  long  each  strip 
should  be. 

Now  measure  and  cut  off  three  strips  of  iron  and 
allow  an  extra  inch  for  lapping  the  long  strip  that 
forms  the  frame.  This  done  mark  off  the  points  where 
the  strips  are  to  be  bent  and  use  your  flat  nose  pliers 
to  bend  the  sharp  corners  and  your  round  nose  pliers 
to  bend  the  curved  parts  of  the  frame. 

Lap  the  ends  of  the  strip  forming  the  frame  on  the 
side  y>2  an  inch,  fasten  the  joint  by  putting  a  binder  on 
it  with  your  pliers  and  a  light  tap  with  your  hammer 
will  tighten  it  up. 

Now  if  you  will  look  again  at  Fig.  31,  you  will  see 
that  one  end  of  the  right  inside  strip  projects  up  and 
beyond  the  rest  of  it  and  this  end  sets  in  the  handle  of 
the  frame  and  strengthens  it;  put  a  binder  on  each 
place  where  it  is  shown  in  the  drawing  including  the 
handle.  Fix  in  the  left  inside  bent  strip  with  binders 
and  put  the  binders  on  so  that  the  rough  ends  will  be 


VENETIAN  IRON 


79 


inside,  file  down  the  rough  places,  rub  the  toaster  all 
over  with  a  piece  of  fine  emery  cloth  until  it  is  nice 
and  smooth,  rub  it  with  some  sweet  oil,  polish  it  off 
with  a  soft  cloth  and  then  present  it  to  Pietro  or  Hilda 
or  Wo  Nang  Fong  or  whoever  it  is  that  presides  over 
the  kitchen. 


FlG.  31.      A  USEFUL  BENT  IRON  TOASTER 

How  to  Make  an  Egg  Boiler. —  Having  made  the 
toaster  you  are  ready  to  try  your  hand  at  something 
a  little  harder  and  a  sood  design  for  your  next  piece 
of  work  is  an  egg  boiler. 

The  picture  may  look  a  little  complicated  but  as  a 
matter  of  fact  there  is  very  little  to  it.  There  are  only 
three  parts  to  the  egg  boiler  and  these  are  (a)  the  egg 
holders;  (b)  the  legs,  and  (c)  the  handle.  Each  of 


8o 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


the  four  egg  holders  is  formed  of  a  ring  or  strip  of 
iron  just  large  enough  so  that  an  egg  will  slip  through 
it;  lap  the  ends  and  put  on  a  binder  to  hold  the  joint 
tight. 

Mark,  cut  off  and  bend  the  ends  of  two  strips  over 
Yz  an  inch,  for  the  half  ovals  on  which  the  egg  rests 
and  then  bend  the  strips  to  fit  the  shape  of  the  egg. 


FlG.  32.      HOW  TO  MAKE  AN  EGG  BOILER 

This  done,  loop  the  ends  of  each  half  oval  over  the 
ring  and  press  them  down  hard  with  your  pliers  to 
hold  them  in  place.  The  way  an  egg  holder  is  made 
is  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  32. 

Each  leg  is  a  short  strip  bent  over  and  pressed  on 
to  the  top  of  the  ring.  It  is  made  rigid  by  putting  a 
binder  on  it  and  to  one  of  the  half  ovals  as  shown 
at  B.  To  make  the  handle  take  a  piece  of  lead  wire 
and  bend  it  to  fit  the  outline  shown  at  C ;  then  straighten 


VENETIAN  IRON 


81 


it  out  and  cut  off  a  strip  of  iron  of  the  same  length. 
Bend  the  ends  of  it  over  H  an  inch  and  shape  it  up 
with  your  round  nose  pliers. 

Now  join  the  four  rings  together  with  binders  and 
loop  and  press  the  ends  of  the  handle  on  to  the  rings 
that  are  furthest  apart  as  shown  at  B.  File,  rub  up  and 
polish  the  egg  boiler  and  give  it  to  the  chef  with  your 
compliments. 

How  to  Make  a  Venetian  Plate  Holder.— To 
make  this  plate  holder  you  will  have  to  add  a  hand 
drill,  a  Ys  inch  twist  drill,  and  a  center  punch  — 
which  are  described  in  Chapter  III  —  to  your  list  of 
tools. 


FlG.   33.     AN    ARTISTIC  VENETIAN    PLATE   HOLDER 

The  plate  holder  is  of  more  simple  construction  than 
the  egg  boiler  but  as  you  have  emerged    from  the 


82 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


kitchen  into  the  dining  room  you  will  have  to  do  a  very 
fine  job.  It  consists  of  four  legs  as  shown  in  Fig.  33, 
riveted  to  a  ring. 

Draw  the  design  on  paper  full  size  and  this  will 
depend  on  the  diameter  of  the  plate  it  is  to  hold. 
Find  the  length  of  the  legs  with  your  lead  wire  and 
measure  and  cut  off  the  strips  of  iron  accordingly. 


FlG.   34.     A   SCONCE  FOR   A   CANDLE 

Likewise  find  the  length  of  iron  strips  it  will  take  for 
the  ring  and  allow  I  inch  or  over  for  the  lap  joint. 

Now  drill  Ys  inch  holes  in  each  strip  you  intend  to 
use  for  the  legs,  half  way  between  the  top  and  bottom 
of  it  and  drill  four  holes  in  the  ring  at  equi-distant 


VENETIAN  IRON  83 

points.  Bend  the  strips  into  the  artistic  curves  shown, 
using,  of  course,  your  round  nose  pliers  to  do  it  with, 
and  bend  the  ring  over  a  round  form  —  a  broomstick 
will  do,  but  a  larger  form  will  work  better. 

Finally  rivet  the  legs  to  the  ring  and  see  to  it  that 
you  make  a  good  job  of  it;  slip  the  top  of  the  legs 
into  place  over  the  plate  and  you  will  have  a  piece  of 
Venetian  iron  work  you  can  be  proud  of. 

You  can  design  and  make  pretty  bent  iron  stands 
for  vases  in  a  manner  very  like  that  used  for  the  plate 
holder;  card  racks,  photograph  frames,  lamp  shades, 
etc.,  can  be  made  in  the  same  manner;  and  as  you  be- 
come more  adept  at  the  work  you  can  point  and  shape 
up  the  iron  by  heating  it  in  an  alcohol  lamp,  or  a  Bun- 
sen  burner  and  hammering  it.  When  you  can  do  this 
you  will  be  able  to  make  a  sconce,  that  is,  an  orna- 
mental mural21  bracket  for  holding  a  candle  as 
shown  in  Fig.  34. 

Further  you  can  twist  and  weave  the  iron  strips 
for  the  sides  and  doors  of  boxes  and  book-cases  and 
either  line  them  with  silk  or  put  stained  glass  back  of 
them.  In  fact  the  most  beautiful  things  imaginable 
can  be  wrought  from  bent  iron  strips  especially  when 
rivets  are  used  to  put  the  work  together. 

A  Dead  Black  Finish  for  Iron  Work. —  Get  25 
cents'  worth  of  japan  gold  size  and  10  cents'  worth  of 
pure  drop  black  ground  in  turpentine  and  mix  them 
together. 

27  Mural  means  anything  that  is  supported  by  or  has  to  do  with 
a  wall. 


84  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

If  it  is  too  thick  thin  it  with  turpentine  and  put  it 
on  with  a  soft  brush.  When  dry  it  will  be  dead 
black  and  neither  air  nor  moisture  will  spoil  it. 


Doing  Repousse  Work 

Repousse  (pronounced  re-poo'-say)  is  a  French 
word  and  means  to  form  in  relief,  and  repousage  (pro- 
nounced re-poo'-sazh)  is  the  word  you  want  to  use 
when  you  mean  the  process  of  producing  designs  in 
relief  on  sheet  metal  by  hammering  it  on  the  back. 

Tools  Needed  for  Repousse  Work. —  Very  few 
tools  are  needed  for  this  kind  of  work  but  it  is  im- 
portant to  use  the  right  kind. 

The  repousse  hammer  is  a  jeweler's  hammer  which 
has  one  end,  or  face  of  it  flat  and  the  other  rounded 
like  a  peining  hammer;  it  is  shown  in  Fig.  35. 


FlG.  35.      HOW   TO  HOLD  A  REFOUSsfc   HAMMER 

Then  a  number  of  blunt  chisels  and  markers  called 
repousse  tools  as  shown  at  B,  Fig.  35,  are  needed  to 
emboss  the  design  in  the  sheet  metal.  These  tools  cost 
about  30  cents  apiece  and  a  set  of  eight  or  ten  tools 
will  serve  you  well.  For  the  bolder  parts  of  the  work 


REPOUSSE  WORK  85 

boxwood  punches  can  be  used  but  steel  punches  are 
always  used  for  the  finer  work. 


r\ 


A     w/^    —    -••••• 

FlG.    35B.      A    PUNCH    AND    PUNCH    DESIGNS    FOR   REPOUSSE    WORK 

How  to  Prepare  the  Work. —  The  kind  of  metal 
that  is  easiest  to  work  is  cold-rolled  sheet  copper 2S 


FlG.   35C.      HOW   TO   HOLD   A  REPOUSSE  PUNCH 

No.  32  Brown  and  Sharp  gauge,  but  brass,  aluminum 
and  pewter  can  also  be  hammered. 

To  get  the  work  ready  fasten  the  piece  of  sheet 
metal  to  a  wooden  block  with  a  cement  made  as  fol- 

28  Can  be  bought  of  Patterson  Brothers,  Park  Row,  New  York, 
or  of  the  Frost  and  Adams  Co.,  Cornhill,  Boston,  Mass. 


86  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

lows :  melt  I  pound  of  Burgundy  pitch  in  an  iron  pan, 
or  skillet,  and  stir  in  i  pound  of  dental  plaster  of 
paris,29  until  they  are  thoroughly  mixed.  Then  put 
in  a  tablespoon ful  each  of  tallow  and  of  resin  which 
will  make  the  cement  stick  better. 

Take  a  board  i  inch  thick,  10  inches  wide  and  12 
inches  long  and  make  a  tray  of  it  by  nailing  a  strip 
of  wood  around  it  so  that  it  is  %  an  inch  higher 
than  the  surface  of  the  board.  Pour  the  cement  while 
it  is  still  hot  on  the  board  and  press  the  sheet  of  metal 
hard  down  on  it;  let  it  get  cold  when  it  will  be  firmly 
cemented  to  it. 

Tracing  the  Design. —  After  you  have  drawn  the 
design  on  the  sheet  of  metal  either  with  a  pencil  or 
by  means  of  transfer  paper  you  can  begin  to  trace 
the  design  by  punching  it  with  the  straight  and  curved 
edge  chisels. 

To  hold  a  chisel  right,  grip  it  between  your  thumb 
and  index  finger,  let  your  next,  or  medius,  finger  lie 
gently  on  the  shank  of  the  tool  and  your  third,  or 
annularis,  finger  rest  on  the  sheet  of  metal  as  shown 
at  C  in  Fig.  35.  / 

The  handle  of  the  hammer  is  long,  thin  and  springy 
and  you  hold  it  by  the  end  with  your  index  finger 
laying  on  it  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  35.  Do  not  strike 
the  tool  hard  or  the  punch  may  go  clear  through  the 
metal  sheet  but  instead  give  it  a  succession  of  light, 
gentle  taps  at  the  rate  of  about  100  a  minute  or  so 
and  you  will  make  the  tracing  nice  and  even. 

29  This  is  very  fine  plaster  and  can  be  bought  of  any  dentist. 


REPOUSSE  WORK 


Bossing  the  Work. —  After  you  have  traced  the 
outline  of  the  design  with  the  chisels  hold  the  plate 
over  an  alcohol  or  a  Bunsen  flame  and  when  it  is  hot 
enough  you  can  take  it  off  of  the  cement. 

Then  cement  it  to  the  block  again,  but  this  time  put 
the  other  side  down.  Now  use  your  boxwood  or  steel 
punches  and  hammer  the  copper,  or  other  metal,  into 
bold  relief  or  you  can  matt  the  ground  with  any  one 
of  the  numerous  punches  shown  at  B. 


T1 


inn 
THE RING FOR 

THECflNDLE 


THE  DESIGN  ON 
THEMETfIL 


THE  CANDLESTICK 
WHEN  DONE 


FlG.   36.     A  REPOUSSE   CANDLESTICK 

How  to  Make  a  Flat  Candlestick. —  This  is  a 
good  piece  of  work  for  you  to  start  with  because  it  is 
at  once  simple,  artistic  and  more  or  less  useful.  To 
make  it,  cut  out  a  sheet  of  brass  6%  inches  square  and 
draw  a  spider  and  his  web  and  a  poor  little  fly  or  two 
making  a  bee-line  for  it  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  36. 

Punch  the  outline  with  your  chisels  and  raise  the 
bodies  of  the  insects  with  your  molding  tools.  The 


88  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

ground  can  be  left  flat  or  you  can  put  it  in  with  a 
marker.  When  you  have  the  bossing  done  scallop 
the  edges  with  your  snips  and  bend  them  up  so  that  it 
is  5  inches  square. 

For  the  handle  cut  a  strip  of  brass  %  inch  wide  and 
4%  inches  long;  raise  the  middle  of  it  by  hammering 
it  in  a  groove  cut  in  a  block  of  hard  wood ;  bend  it  and 
then  rivet  it  to  a  corner  of  the  brass  sheet. 

To  make  the  ring  which  holds  the  candle  cut  out  a 
strip  of  brass  I  inch  high  and  3  inches  long  and  cut 
out  three  tongues  as  shown  at  B.  Scribe  a  circle  in  a 
corner  of  the  sheet  of  brass,  cut  three  slots  on  it,  slip 
the  tongues  through  the  slots  and  bend  them  over. 

Rub  the  candlestick  all  over  with  some  brass  polish 
and  then  cover  the  bottom  with  a  piece  of  green  bil- 
liard cloth  if  you  can  get  it,  or  any  other  kind  you 
may  have  at  hand.  It  is  shown  complete  at  C. 

How  to  Make  a  Photo  Frame. —  The  front  of  this 
frame  can  be  made  of  brass,  copper  or  German  silver 
and  the  back  of  it  can  be  made  of  a  sheet  of  tin  or 
brass. 

You  can  make  the  frame  round,  oblong  or  square 
and  with  a  round  or  an  oval  opening  in  it  to  suit  your 
fancy.  Suppose  you  make  the  outside  of  it  7x9 
inches  and  the  oval  opening  3%  x  5  inches  as  shown  at 
A  in  Fig.  37.  Draw  or  transfer  the  design  to  the 
surface  of  the  metal  and  work  it  into  shape  as  I  have 
previously  described. 

Do  not  cut  the  opening  or  trim  the  metal  sheet  to 
the  size  you  want  them  until  after  you  have  ham- 


REPOUSSE  WORK 


89 


mered  it  as  this  draws  the  metal  out.  After  you  have 
finished  the  front  make  a  back  for  it  of  sheet  tin  or 
brass,  5  inches  wide  and  6  inches  long,  and  bend  over 
the  edge  of  one  end  and  both  of  the  side  edges  %  inch 
as  shown  at  B. 

Solder  the  edges  to  the  back  of  the  frame  and  then 
solder  a  stay,  or  stand  on  the  back  of  it.     This  com- 


SOLDER. 
TO  THE 
BACK 


FRONT 


w    THE  HAMMERED  THE  BACK  OF 

FRONT  THE  FRAME 

FlG.  37.      A  REPOUSSE  PHOTO  FRAME 

pletes  the  frame  and  the  photograph  can  be  slipped 
in  it  between  the  front  and  the  back. 

Cleaning  and  Polishing  Brass,  Copper  and  German 
Silver. —  To  clean  any  of  these  metals  mix  some  pow- 
dered rotten  stone  with  some  machine  oil  and  rub 
them  with  a  pad  made  of  a  soft  flannel  rag. 

To  polish  wipe  off  the  rotten  stone  and  oil  perfectly 
clean  and  then  rub  the  work  with  a  chamois  skin 
dampened  with  alcohol  and  on  which  you  have  put 
some  red  rouge. 


po  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Frosting,  Coloring  and  Lacquering  Metals. —  You 
will  find  recipes  for  finishing  articles  in  these  styles 
in  Chapter  III. 

Pierced  Metal  Work 

This  is  by  all  odds  the  simplest  and  easiest  of  all 
art  metal  work  and  you  won't  need  any  practice  to 
make  a  good  job;  then  the  tools  and  materials  cost  but 
very  little  and  the  finished  work  is  really  pretty. 

The  Outfit  to  Do  It  With. —  The  Tools. —  These 
are  very  few  indeed  and  include  (i)  a  pear-shaped 


rnz  MALLET 


#  TRACING  POINT 


THUMB 

T/7CK 


STIPPLING /JWLS         f\ 

FlG.    38A.     THE   TOOLS   YOU    NEED  FOR   PIERCED   BRASS    WORK 

mallet  for  stippling;  (2)  a  tracing  point;  (3)  a  couple 
of  modeling  tools;  (4)  an  awl  with  a  tempered  point, 
and  (5)  a  metal  folder,  all  of  which  are  shown  at  A  in 
Fig.  38. 

You  will  also  need  (a)  a  sheet  of  designs;  (b)  a 
sheet  of  carbon,  or  impression  paper;  (c)  a  dozen  or 


PIERCED  METAL  WORK  91 

more  split  shanks  to  fasten  the  edges  of  the  work  to- 
gether; (d)  a  drawing  board  about  12  x  18  inches  on 
the  sides  of  which  the  sheet  metal  is  tacked  while 
you  are  working  it,  and  (e)  some  thumb  tacks  for 
tacking  the  work  to  the  board. 

You  will  need  too,  of  course,  the  sheet  metal  and 


THEFINISHED 

CANDLE  SHADE 

FlG.  388.      A  PIERCED  BRASS  CANDLE  SHADE 

this  can  be  of  brass,  copper  or  German  silver  and  you 
can  buy  sheets  of  these  metals  that  are  already  cut  out 
for  candle  shades,  lanterns,  photo-frames  and  nu- 
merous other  articles  with  the  designs  marked  on  them 
ready  to  use  30  or  you  can  buy  the  sheet  metal  and  the 

30  All  tools  and  materials  for  pierced  metal  work  can  be  bought 
of  Frost  and  Adams,  Boston,  Mass. 


92  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

designs  separately  and  then  transfer  and  cut  them 
out  yourself. 

An  outfit  for  pierced  brass  work  can  be  bought  for 
as  little  as  60  cents  and  you  can  buy  any  number  of 
brass  or  copper  cutouts  with  the  designs  stamped  on 
them  for  25  cents  each,  or  of  German  silver  for  50 
cents  each. 

How  to  Do  the  Work. —  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to 
lay  the  sheet  of  metal  with  the  design  on  it  on  your 
drawing  board  and  fasten  it  there  with  thumb 
tacks. 

Now  with  your  stippling  awl  punch  little  ho"les 
about  YIQ  inch  apart  all  along  the  outline  of  the  de- 
sign. The  background  is  then  stippled  with  the  awl, 
that  is,  dotted  all  over  but  not  punched  through,  and 
the  closer  the  dots  are  the  prettier  it  will  look. 

Use  a  small  modeling  tool  to  put  the  veins  in  the 
leaves  and  after  you  have  done  this  use  a  larger 
modeling  tool  and  shape  up  the  leaves  or  whatever  the 
design  may  be. 

To  do  this  grip  the  tool  in  your  hand  and  press  it 
hard  on  the  edge  of  the  leaf  and  force  it  in  toward 
the  vein  and  at  the  same  time  ease  up  on  it.  This  is 
all  there  is  to  the  actual  work  of  piercing  brass. 

After  you  have  made  the  design  take  some  brass 
polish,  put  it  on  a  little  wad  of  cheese  cloth  and  rub 
off  the  remaining  marks  and  then  polish  it  with  a  clean 
cloth. 

Since  the  brass  or  other  metal  for  pierced  brass 
work  is  very  thin  you  will  have  to  back  it  up  with  thin 


PEWTER  WORK 


93 


wood,  although  candle  shades  and  other  small  articles 
can  be  used  as  they  are.  A  design  for  a  candle  shade 
is  shown  at  B  and  the  finished  candlestick  at  C,  while 
one  for  a  toast  panel  that  can  be  hung  on  the  wall  with 
a  Venetian  bent  iron  hanger  which  I  described  on  page 
76  is  shown  at  D. 


FIG.  38a    A  PIERCED  BRASS  TOAST  SIGN 

Casting  and  Working  Pewter 

Since  nearly  all  metals  excepting  tin  and  lead  have 
high  melting  points,  it  is  hard  to  melt  them  unless  you 
have  a  regular  furnace. 

Something  About  Pewter. —  But  casting  metals  is 
a  fascinating  process  and  you  can  do  it  by  melting  25 


94  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

parts  of  lead  and  75  parts  of  tin  together  which  forms 
an  alloy  called  pewter. 

This  alloy  is  as  old  as  the  hills  and  for  ten  or 
eleven  centuries  before  the  golden  age  of  inven- 
tion—  that  is  to  say  the  beginning  of  the  iQth  cen- 
tury —  pewter  utensils  were  used  in  nearly  every 
home  in  every  civilized  country. 

Then  came  the  invention  of  cheap  processes  for  mak- 
ing pottery  and  glass  and  those  good  old  hard  alloys 
known  as  britannia  metal,  which  is  formed  of  tin, 
copper  and  antimony,  and  German  silver,  which  is 
German  all  right,  for  it  was  first  made  at  Hildburg- 
hausen,  Germany,  but  it  is  not  silver  at  all  for  it  is 
formed  of  nickel,  zinc  and  copper,  went  entirely  out 
of  use. 

But  there  is  a  dignity  and  a  beauty  about  pewter  that 
none  of  the  other  common  metals  have  and  it  may  be 
revived  one  of  these  days  for  efforts  are  now  being 
made  to  produce  it  again  in  all  its  former  glory. 

How  to  Make  Pewter. —  I  do  not  know  of  any 
place  where  you  can  buy  pewter  but  you  can  easily 
make  the  alloy  yourself. 

You  can  get  the  lead  in  your  home  town  wherever 
you  live  at  any  plumbing  shop  but  you  may  not  be 
able  to  get  the  tin  so  easily.  You  can,  however,  get 
it  by  sending  to  the  Conley  Tin  Foil  Company,  521 
West  25th  Street,  New  York,  and  at  the  present  time 
they  are  quoting  pig  tin  in  blocks  at  75  cents  a  pound. 

When  you  have  the  lead  and  the  tin  melt  the  lead  in 
an  iron  ladle,  see  Fig.  39,  over  the  kitchen  fire  and 


PEWTER  WORK  95 

skim  off  the  dross,  that  is,  the  impurities  in  it  that 
come  to  the  surface,  and  then  put  in  the  tin.  After 
both  are  melted  stir  them  well  and  then  pour  the  alloy 
thus  formed,  which  is  pewter,  in  a  pan  that  is  oiled 
with  sweet  oil,  to  keep  it  from  sticking  and  so  make 
sheets  of  it  of  whatever  thickness  you  want. 


FlG.  39.      IRON   LADLE  FOR   MELTING   PEWTER 

About  Working  Pewter. —  Pewter  can  be  worked 
like  any  other  malleable  metal,  only  easier  because  it 
is  softer  and  more  ductile,  hence  it  can  be  hammered 
into  any  shape. 

It  can  be  cast  as  you  will  presently  see  and  it  can  be 
soldered  by  using  a  flux  of  tallow,  Gallipoli  oil  or 
Venice  turpentine  and  pewterer's  solder,  which  is  made 
of  i  part  of  lead,  i  part  of  tin  and  2  parts  of  bis- 
muth.31 This  solder  melts  at  203  degrees  Fahrenheit, 
that  is  at  a  temperature  of  9  degrees  less  than  that  at 
which  water  boils. 

How  to  Cast  Pewter. —  The  way  in  which  pewter 
is  usually  cast  is  by  making  molds  of  iron  and  brass 
and  pouring  the  metal  into  them.  But  you  can  do 
a  very  good  job  of  casting  pewter  by  making  and  using 
plaster  of  Paris  molds. 

In  making  any  kind  of  castings  you  need  a  flask, 

31  Bismuth  is  a  reddish  white  metal. 


96  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

that  is  a  wooden  frame  made  in  halves,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  40;  the  top  half  of  the  flask  is  called  the  cope 
and  this  must  be  fitted  with  pins  that  set  in  holes  in 
the  bottom  of  the  frame  or  drag,  as  it  is  called. 

When  these  pins  set  in  the  holes  they  keep  the  top 
and  bottom  parts  of  the  flask  together  so  that  after 
the  mold  is  made  they  can  be  taken  apart  and  the 
pattern  removed  and  then  when  they  are  put  together 


C°P£  PATTERN 


PLASTER 
'OF  PAR® 


FlG.  40.      HOW  A  PEWTER  CASTING  IS   MADE 

again  ready  for  the  metal  to  be  poured  they  will  be 
exactly  even.  Make  the  top  and  bottom  halves  of 
the  flask  a  couple  of  inches  larger  all  round  and  a 
couple  of  inches  deeper  than  the  size  of  the  pattern 
you  are  going  to  cast. 

The  Patterns  Necessary. —  You  can  saw  or  turn 
or  carve  out  of  wood  anything  you  want  to  cast  in 
pewter,  provided  it  is  not  too  intricate,  and  after  sand- 
papering it  nice  and  smooth  all  over  give  it  a  couple 
of  coats  of  shellac  varnish.82 

32  This  can  be  bought  already  made  at  paint  stores  or  you  can 
make  it  by  dissolving  some  yellow  shellac  in  alcohol. 


PEWTER  WORK  97 

If  it  is  your  idea  to  make  table-ware  of  pewter  you 
can  use  ordinary  china  dishes  for  your  patterns,  pro- 
vided they  are  without  handles,  but  before  making  a 
mold  with  any  kind  of  a  pattern  in  plaster  oil  it  well 
all  over  with  sweet  oil,  using  a  brush  for  the  pur- 
pose, so  that  it  will  not  stick  and  then  you  can  draw 
it  easily. 

Making  the  Mold. —  Lay  the  drag,  that  is  the 
lower  half  of  the  flask,  on  a  board  or  a  table;  mix 
dental  plaster  of  Paris  with  water  until  it  is  about  as 
thick  as  batter  and  fill  the  drag  with  it. 

Just  before  the  plaster  begins  to  set,  that  is,  harden, 
take  your  pattern,  whether  it  is  one  you  have  made  or 
a  china  dish,  oil  it  and  press  it  down  into  the  plaster 
until  it  is  nearly  even  with  the  top  edge  of  the  pat- 
tern and  let  it  stay  there  until  the  plaster  is  hard,  that 
is,  over  night. 

Then  brush  sweet  oil  over  the  top  of  both  the  pat- 
tern and  the  hard  plaster  which  must  come  about  flush, 
that  is  even,  with  the  top  of  the  drag.  Now  put  on 
the  cope  and  fill  it  with  plaster,  smooth  it  off  even  with 
the  top  edge  and  let  the  plaster  get  hard. 

Your  next  move  is  to  lift  the  cope  from  the  drag 
which  you  can  do  without  trouble  and  then  lift  the 
pattern  from  the  drag,  using  the  point  of  a  knife  if  it 
seems  inclined  to  stick. 

Drill  a  %  inch  hole  through  the  plaster  in  the  cope, 
fit  the  cope  to  the  drag  again  and  then  pour  in  the 
pewter.  When  it  is  cold  take  the  flask  apart,  take 


98  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

the  casting  out  gently  and  don't  spoil  it  even  if  you 
have  to  break  the  mold. 

Where  cups,  tankards  or  other  hollow  vessels  are  to 
be  cast  make  a  mold  for  it  just  as  though  it  was  a 
solid  piece;  now  pour  in  the  melted  pewter  and  when 
it  has  cooled  enough  to  form  a  solid  layer  turn  the 
mold  upside  down  and  let  the  melted  metal  run  out 
which  will  leave  it  hollow.  If  handles  are  needed 
cast  them  separately  and  solder  them  on  to  the  body 
of  the  vessel.  Some  finished  pewter  ware  is  shown 
at  C. 


FlG.  40C.      HOME   MADE  PEWTER   WARE 

Finishing  the  Ware. —  Plates  and  the  like  can  be 
scraped  with  a  steel  scraper  and  when  they  are  nice 
and  smooth  rub  them  with  a  rag  dipped  in  oil  and 
whiting,  but  do  not  polish  them. 

If  you  have  a  turning  lathe  of  any  kind  you  can 
put  your  cups  and  other  round  objects  in  it  and  turn 


PEWTER  WORK 


99 


it  up  with  a  bent  inside  turning  tool,  a  flat  tool  and 
a  round  point  tool  such  as  is  used  for  turning  brass, 
ivory,  etc.,  and  which  you  can  buy  for  a  quarter 
apiece,33  and  this  will  leave  the  pewter  bright  and 
beautiful. 

Engraving  on  Metal 

Engraving  on  metal  is  a  beautiful  art.  The  method 
is  simple  and  the  effect  is  striking  but  it  requires  a  good 
deal  of  patience  and  long  practice  to  do  really  good 
work. 


rot> 


BOTTOM 


8 


FlG.  41.     TOOLS  FOR  ENGRAVING  ON  METAL 

A.  Shapes  of  gravers. 

B.  Handles  for  gravers. 

The  Tools  That  Are  Used. —  Engraving  tools,  or 
gravers  as  they  are  called,  are  made  in  ten  or  a  dozen 
shapes  but  the  knife,  round  and  lozenge  gravers  will  be 

33  These  tools  can  be  bought  of  Luther  M.  Wightman,  Milk 
Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


ioo  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

enough  to  do  all  ordinary  work  with.     The  different 
shapes  are  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  41. 

All  of  the  gravers  are  about  the  same  length,  that 
is  4%  or  5  inches,  and  they  are  fitted  with  knob  shaped 
handles  a  third  of  which  has  been  cut  away  as  shown 
at  B,  so  that  the  graver  can  be  gripped  in  the  palm  of 
the  hand  with  the  flat  side  against  it  which  keeps  the 
tool  in  the  right  position.  The  way  to  hold  a  graver 
is  shown  at  C. 


FlG.  4IC.      HOW   TO  HOLD  A  GRAVER 

How  to  Engrave  on  Metal. —  If  the  object  to  be 
engraved  is  very  small  it  should  be  fixed  to  a  block 
of  wood  with  the  Burgundy  pitch  compound  above 
described,  but  if  it  is  a  large  object  it  need  not  be 
mounted. 

In  either  case  an  engraving  pad,  that  is,  a  round, 
thick  leather  pad  filled  with  sand,  is  a  very  great  con- 
venience to  rest  the  work  on  because  it  permits  the 
work  to  be  easily  turned  in  any  direction  and  heM  at 
any  angle  while  it  is  being  engraved. 


PEWTER  WORK 


101 


FlG.  4ID.     AN  ENGRAVING  ON  A  SHEET  OF  COPPER 

Rolled  sheet  copper  is  a  good  metal  to  practice  on 
and  you  can  trace  the  design  you  want  to  engrave  on 
it  by  dabbing  a  thin  film  of  engraver's  wax  34  on  the 
metal  surface  with  your  finger  and  then  sketching  the 

34  You  can  use  beeswax  but  it  is  better  to  make  a  wax  by  melt- 
ing together  3  parts  of  beeswax,  3  parts  of  tallow,  i  part  of 
Canada  balsam  and  i  part  of  olive  oil.  Or  you  can  buy  a  small 
cake  of  Chinese  white,  wet  your  finger,  rub  it  on  the  white  and 
then  dab  it  on  the  metal  surface. 


A  COLLEGE  L/BRM 


102  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

outline  with  a  bone  stylus,  that  is  a  piece  of  bone  hav- 
ing a  sharp  point.  An  example  of  art  engraving  is 
shown  at  D  in  Fig.  41. 


CHAPTER  V 
DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED 

Free-hand  Drawing 

A  PICTURE  made  by  the  hand  and  eye  and  without 
the  aid  of  a  rule  and  compass  is  called  free-hand 
drawing. 

To  be  able  to  do  free-hand  drawing  is  one  of  the 
nicest  accomplishments  you  can  have  for  then  you 
can  sketch  the  things  you  see  and  want  to  remember; 
and,  further,  sketches  made  with  a  pencil  or  pen  and 
mk  are,  to  my  way  of  thinking,  just  as  interesting  as 
photographs  provided  they  are  well  done. 

Talent  versus  Practice. —  Some  fellows  have  a 
natural  bent  for  sketching  and  are  what  you  might 
call  born  artists,  while  others  seem  to  be  entirely 
minus  this  talent  and  the  only  way  they  can  ever  learn 
to  sketch  is  by  following  certain  rules  and  then  prac- 
ticing. 

Now  the  chances  are  you  have  a  little  talent  but 
whether  you  have  or  not  if  you  will  follow  the  simple 
instructions  I  have  written  down  in  this  chapter  you 
will  be  surprised  to  find  what  really  clever  pictures 
you  can  draw. 

Pictures  for  You  to  Draw. —  There  are  two  kinds 
103 


104  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

of  free-hand  sketches  for  you  to  do  and  these  are  (i) 
of  life  models  and  (2)  of  still  life,  that  is,  fruit,  flow- 
ers, furniture  and  inanimate  objects  of  all  kinds. 

I  shall  tell  you  first  how  to  make  simple  drawings  of 
living  figures  including  man  and  beast  and  by  begin- 
ning where  your  savage  ancestor  left  off  you  will  be 
able  to  at  least  represent  anything  your  fancy  dic- 
tates. 

Simple  Line  Sketches. —  As  you  will  see  by  look- 
ing at  A  and  B  in  Fig  42,  the  sketches  of  the  man  and 
horse  consist  of  merely  straight  lines  but  you  will  also 


A        x>  B 

FlG.   42.      A   SIMPLE  LINE  DRAWING  OF  A   MAN   AND   A    HORSE 

observe  that  A  looks  like  a  boxer  because  the  action  is 
there. 

This  is  because  when  I  sketched  it  I  was  careful  to 
note  the  exact  position  of  the  boxer's  head,  arms,  legs 
and  body  as  they  appeared  at  that  given  moment. 
The  keynote  in  sketching  a  figure  in  action  is  always 
to  draw  it,  not  as  you  wish  or  believe  it  to  look  but 
as  it  actually  is. 

The  line  sketches  A  and  B  only  look  as  like  a  man 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     105 

landing  a  right,  and  a  horse  coming  down  the  home 
stretch  as  they  do  because  (a)  all  the  lines  are  prop- 
erly proportioned,  that  is,  of  the  right  length  when 
compared  with  each  other,  and  (b)  they  are  set  in  the 
correct  positions.  The  way  to  become  a  good  judge 
of  proportion  is  always  to  notice  the  relative  sizes  of 
the  things  you  draw. 

Sketching  Simple  Outline  Figures. —  When  you 
can  sketch  straight  line  figures  to  show  men  and  ani- 


B 

FlG.  43.      SIMPLE  OUTUNE  DRAWING  OF  A  BOXER  AND  A  RACE  HORSE 

mals  in  action  you  can  then  draw  outlines  around 
them  and  so  make  them  much  more  realistic  as  shown 
at  A  and  B  in  Fig.  43. 

To  do  this  draw  a  straight  line  sketch  first  and 
then  draw  the  outline  around  it,  when  you  can  rub 
out  the  straight  lines  if  you  want  to.  In  these  out- 
line sketches  you  will  see  that  only  the  lines  that  are 
actually  needed  to  give  the  picture  the  contour,  that  is, 
the  shape  of  the  figure,  or  body,  are  used. 

The  Proportions  of  the  Human  Figure. —  If  you 


io6 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


will  remember  when  you  are  drawing  a  picture  of  the 
human  form  that  the  whole  figure  from  neck  to  toe 
should  be  7  times  as  long  as  the  head;  that  the  body 
proper,  or  torso  as  it  is  called,  is  4  times  as  long  as  the 
head ;  that  the  arms  are  as  long  as  the  body,  and  that 


FlG.    44A.     THE    PROPORTIONS     OF     THE     HUMAN     BODY 

the  legs  should  be  4  times  the  length  of  the  head 
measured  to  the  inside  of  the  crotch,  as  you  will  see 
if  you  will  look  at  A  in  Fig.  44,  you  will  have  it  in  pro- 
portion. 

How  to  Draw  Faces. —  You  can  easily  draw  fairly 
natural  looking  faces  if  you  will  rule  off  a  number  of 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     107 

squares  on  a  sheet  of  paper  as  shown  at  B  and  C  in 
Fig.  44. 

The  full  view  of  the  head  of  a  human  being  is 
shaped  like  an  egg  standing  on  its  small  end,  and  the 
profile  (pronounced  pro'- feel)  view,  that  is  the  side 
view  of  the  head,  is  more  nearly  square;  if  in  the  latter 
case  the  square  is  divided  into  two  triangles,  the  face 
will  be  found  to  nearly  fill  one  of  them  and  the  hair 
the  other. 

Both  of  these  figures  show  the  right  sizes  to  make 


FlG.  44B.     A  FULL  VIEW  OF  THE  FACE 

the  eyes,  ears,  nose  and  mouth,  that  the  eyes  are  on 
a  line  with  the  helix,  or  upper  border  of  the  ears  and 
that  the  top  of  the  nose  is  on  a  line  with  the  lobe,  or 
lower  edge  of  the  ear.  It  is  mighty  good  practice  to 
sketch  the  faces  of  your  friends  in  this  fashion. 

Sketching  Still  Life  Objects. —  It  is  always  more 


io8 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


or  less  hard  to  sketch  inanimate  objects  with  anything 
like  a  true  portrayal  of  them  from  memory  but  it  is 
quite  easy  to  do  so  if  you  have  the  object  itself  set  up 
before  you  to  pattern  after  and  then  draw  it  as 
you  see  it. 

If  you  can  do  a  creditable  drawing  in  this  manner 
with  your  eye  and  hand  alone  it  is  art,  but  if  you  use 
a  rule  or  a  pair  of  dividers  to  measure  off  the  propor- 


FlG.  440.     A  PROFILE  VIEW  OF  THE  FACE 

tions  and  then  mark  them  on  your  paper,  it  degenerates 
into  a  purely  mechanical  process;  but  you  can  take 
your  choice  and  do  it  whichever  way  you  want  to. 

Drawing  in  Perspective. —  The  first  thing  to  know 
about  drawing  in  perspective  is  what  perspective 
means.  To  do  a  drawing  of  an  object  or  a  view  on 
a  sheet  of  paper  as  it  appears  to  the  eye  you  must  draw 
it  in  perspective. 

As  an  illustration,  when  you  look  down  a  railroad 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     109 

track  you  will  see  that  the  rails  look  very  far  apart 
at  your  feet,  but  in  the  distance  they  seem  to  come 
to  a  point  and  then  vanish;  this  is  quite  natural  for 
nearby  objects  always  look  larger  than  when  they 
are  at  a  distance. 

So  too,  when  you  look  at  the  top  of  a  box  the  edge 
a  will  seem  longer  than  the  edge  b,  which  is  farther 
away  from  the  eye,  and  the  lines  c  and  d  which  form 
the  other  edges  would  meet  if  they  were  projected  as 


FlG.  4SA.     THE  VANISHING  POINTS   OF  A   PERSPECTIVE  DRAWING 

shown  by  the  dotted  lines  at  A  in  Fig.  45,  and  the 
same  thing  is  true  for  the  front  and  the  side  of  the 
box. 

The  Vanishing  Point. —  So  when  you  draw  a  box 
or  any  other  object  in  perspective  the  lines  will  meet 
if  you  draw  them  out  far  enough  and  then  vanish, 
and  hence  this  is  called  the  vanishing  point. 

To  find  the  vanishing  point  of  the  surface  of  an 
object,  such  as  the  top  of  a  box,  hold  a  pencil  out  in 
front  of  yourself  at  arm's  length  and  shut  one  eye, 
as  shown  at  B ;  then  tilt  the  pencil  until  it  follows  the 


no 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


side  line  that  you  are  going  to  draw ;  now  open  your 
eye  and  you  will  see  that  the  line  of  the  box  that 
seemed  at  first  to  be  straight  is  really  slanting. 

Draw  a  line  on  your  paper  at  this  slant,  or  angle 
as  it  is  called,  and  do  the  same  with  the  other  line  and 
draw  it,  when  the  two  lines  will  meet  and  this  is  the 
vanishing  point.  You  can  draw  in  now  the  front  and 
back  lines  of  the  top. 


WGPO/NT 


WHEH  REPEATED 
ON  THIS  SIDE  THE 
TWO  POSITIONS  OF  1 
PENCIL    W/U0£SEE 
TO  CONV£RG£  TO  THE 
VANISHING  POINT 


SOLID  PENCIL  MOWS.HOW 

:NCIL  IS  TURNED  FROM 
FIRST  TO  BE  PARALLEL  WITH 
EDGE  OF  BOOK 


.     'DOTTED  LINES 
\  \INDICflTEFIRSTPOS- 
{  \ITIONOFPENCILIN 
" '  HORIZONTJLPOSlTlOt* 

TO  EDGE  OF  8OOX 


B 


FlG.  45B.      HOW  TO  FIND  THE  VANISHING  POINT 


Houses  and  all  other  objects  should  be  drawn  with 
vanishing  points  if  they  are  to  conform  to  the  first 
principles  of  art,  but  for  certain  kinds  of  mechanical 
drawing  art  is  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  showing  the 
sizes  of  the  object  and  an  abnormal  picture  results 
which  is  called  an  isometric  perspective. 

But  houses  and  all  other  large  objects  should  be 
drawn  with  vanishing  points  or  they  will  not  look  real. 
A  barn  drawn  in  this  way  is  shown  at  C,  and  you 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     111 

will  see  that  the  roof  looks  perfectly  natural  since 
the  lines  forming  it  run  to  vanishing  points. 


FlG.   45C.     THE   VANISHING   POINTS   PUT   TO   USE 

How  to  Shade  a  Drawing. —  When  you  do  a 
drawing  from  an  object  you  will  see  that  the  light 
falling  on  certain  parts  of  it  seems  white,  or  high 
lights,  as  they  are  called,  and  on  other  parts  where  it 
does  not  fall  it  is  dark. 

To  shade  your  drawing  so  that  it  will  show  the 
lights  and  shadows  exactly  as  the  object  does,  you 
should  study  the  latter,  and  put  the  shading,  as  it  is 
called,  on  the  former  just  as  nearly  like  it  as  you  can. 
But  in  shading  a  drawing  there  must  be  no  sharp  lines 
to  show  where  the  light  leaves  off  and  the  shadow 
begins,  but  you  must  make  them  merge  gradually  one 
into  the  other,  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  45. 

Working  Drawings 

And  now  we  come  to  drawings  of  another  kind  and 
these  are  not  intended  to  please  the  eye  but  to  work 
from,  hence  they  are  called  working  drawings. 

When  most  boys,  and  many  men,  want  to  make 
anything  of  wood  or  metal  they  get  busy  with  their 


112  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

tools  forthwith  and  whack  it  out  willy-nilly  and  of 
course  a  punk  job  results. 

Now  the  right  way  to  make  an  article  —  unless  you 
are  going  to  crochet  a  sweater  —  is  to  ( i )  see  it  in 
your  mind's  eye,  (  2  )  then  draw  it  out  on  paper  to  scale, 
and  (3)  build  it  up  from  the  plan  as  the  picture  is 
called.  By  working  this  way  you  will  be  able  to  figure 
out  just  how  much  material  you  will  need  for  it ;  see 
exactly  how  the  various  parts  fit  together,  and  know 
that  it  will  look  just  right  when  it  is  done. 

Drawing  Tools  You  Should  Have. —  Drawing 
instruments,  or  drawing  tools  as  they  are  commonly 
called,  consist  for  the  most  part  of  (i)  one  or  more 
pairs  of  dividers;  (2)  one  or  more  pairs  of  compasses 


LENGTHENING 
BAR 


DIVIDERS 


L£flDS/NBOX 


BOW  PEN 


COMPASS  P£NClllHCOMPflSS 

FlG.   46.     THE   DRAWING  TOOLS    YOU    NEED 

with  pen  and  pencil  points,  and  (3)  one  or  more  rul- 
ing pens.  One  of  each  of  the  above  tools  will  be 
enough  for  you  to  begin  with.  A  cheap  set  is  shown 
in  Fig.  46. 

Then  you  will  need   (4)   a  rule,  or  scale  as  it  is 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     113 

called;  (5)  a  protractor;  (6)  a  T  square  20  inches 
long;  (7)  a  30  degree  triangle  5  inches  long;  (8) 
some  drawing  paper™  not  less  than  10x12  inches; 

(9)  a  couple  of  medium  hard  (HHH)  lead  pencils,35 

(10)  a  good  rubber  eraser;36  (n)  a  bottle  of  Hig- 
gins'  India  ink,37  (12)  a  few  thumb  tacks,  and  (13)  a 
drawing  board  about  12  x  17  inches.     And  now  let's 
see  what  these  tools  and  other  things  are  for  and  how 
they  are  used. 

A  pair  of  dividers  is  a  tool  having  hinged  legs,  the 
free  ends  of  which  are  pointed;  they  are  used  to  take, 
mark  off  and  subdivide  distances. 

The  compasses  are  made  like  the  dividers,  but  one 
end  has  a  needle  point  and  the  other  is  hollow  so  that 
either  a  pencil  or  a  drawing  pen  point  can  be  slipped 
into  it;  this  tool  is  used  to  draw  curves  and  circles, 
either  with  a  pencil  or  in  ink. 

A  ruling  pen  is  formed  of  two  bowed  steel  blades 
having  a  screw  adjustment  so  that  they  can  be  forced 
together  or  drawn  apart  and  so  make  lines  of  varying 
widths.  Not  only  is  a  ruling  pen  different  from  a 
writing  pen  but  the  ink  that  is  used  with  it  is  thicker 
than  an  ordinary  writing  ink.  This  pen  is  used  to 
make  straight  lines  by  running  it  along  the  edge  of 
a  rule  or  T  square. 

A  protractor  is  a  semi-circle  of  brass  or  of  German 

34  Get  a  2-ply  bristol  board  with  a  medium  or  smooth  surface. 

35  Koh-i-noor  or  Venus  pencils  are  good  ones. 

36  Get  Faber's  red  rubber  Van  Dyke. 

31  This  is  a  prepared  India  ink  but  you  can  make  your  own  by 
rubbing  up  stick  India  ink  with  water. 


114  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

silver  and  it  is  divided  into  180  degrees  —  since  it  is 
half  of  a  circle  and  there  are  360  degrees  in  a  circle. 
You  can  buy  one  for  a  quarter. 

By  placing  the  edge  of  your  rule  in  the  center  of  the 
straight  edge  of  the  protractor  and  laying  it  on  any 
one  of  the  lines  —  they  are  numbered  from  o  to  180 
—  you  will  find  the  number  of  degrees  the  edge  of  the 
rule  is  from  the  horizonta1 


FlG.  47.     THE  T  SQUARE  AND  TRIANGLE  ON  THE  DRAWING  BOARD 

The  T  square  is  laid  with  the  head,  that  is  the 
short  thick  piece,  against  the  left  hand  edge  of  the 
drawing  board  which  brings  the  blade,  that  is  the  long 
thin  piece  flat  on  and  across  the  board.  The  triangle  is 
placed  against  the  straight  edge.  The  triangle  is  laid 
on  the  board  with  one  of  its  edges  against  the  blade 
of  the  T  square  as  shown  in  Fig.  47. 

Simple  Working  Drawings. —  There  are  two 
kinds  of  working  drawings  that  will  be  of  use  to  you 
and  these  are,  (i)  plan  drawings,  and  (2)  isometric 
(pronounced  i-so-met'-ric)  drawings  and  you  will  find 
both  of  these  quite  easy  to  do. 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     115 

Making  Plan  Drawings. —  Suppose  now  you  want  to 
draw  the  plans  of  a  box  which,  let's  imagine,  is  to  be 
5  inches  high,  6  inches  wide  and  8  inches  long.  The 
first  thing  to  do  is  to  draw  out  a  view  of  the  bottom, 
which  also  serves  as  the  top  since  they  are  alike,  and 
you  will  have  a  rectangle  like  that  shown  at  A  in 
Fig.  48,  and  mark  the  dimensions  on  it,  that  is,  the 


» 


FlG.  48A.      THE   PLAN    DRAWINGS   FOR   A   BOX 

width  and  the  length  of  the  box.  This  you  do  by  run- 
ning a  couple  of  arrows  in  each  direction  and  marking 
in  the  size. 

Next  draw  one  of  the  sides  as  shown  at  B  and  this 
will  give  you  the  height  and  the  length  of  the  box  and 
mark  in  the  sizes,  that  is  5  and  8  inches  accordingly. 
Finally  draw  the  end  and  you  will  have  the  height  and 
width  of  the  box  as  shown  at  C  and  again  you  mark  in 
the  dimensions. 

It  is  easy  to  see  now  that  if  you  have  all  three  di- 


ii6  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

mensions,  namely  length,  breadth  and  thickness,  and 
that  if  you  make  a  box  in  wood  or  metal  it  will  look 
like  the  picture  shown  at  D  which  is  in  isometric  per- 
spective. 


FlG.  480.     THE  BOX   DRAWN   IN   ISOMETRIC  PERSPECTIVE 

Isometric  Perspective  Drawings. —  The  kind  of  per- 
spective drawings  I  told  you  how  to  do  under  the 
caption  of  Drawing  in  Perspective  is  true  perspective 
but  engineers  do  drawings  which  they  call  isometric 
perspective,  that  is,  while  the  object  seems  to  stand 
out  in  relief  there  are  no  vanishing  points. 

This  kind  of  perspective  is  purely  mechanical  and 
not  in  the  least  artistic  but  it  is  a  great  aid  when  you 
intend  to  make  anything,  for  you  can  still  draw  the 
lines  to  scale  and  see  exactly  how  the  finished  object 
will  look. 

To  make  a  drawing  of  this  kind  draw  a  line  on  a 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     117 

sheet  of  paper  near  the  bottom  and  two  30  degree 
lines  from  the  ends  and  a  vertical  line  through  them 
where  they  meet  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  49. 

Now  there  are  four  ways  by  which  you  can  get  the 
30  degree  lines  on  paper  and  these  are  ( i )  to  buy 
isometric  ruled  paper,  that  is  paper  on  which  the  lines 
are  already  ruled ;  you  can  buy  this  paper  for  1 5  cents 
a  quire  of  any  dealer  in  drawing  materials  or  of 
Keuffel  and  Esser,  127  Fulton  Street,  New  York  City. 
This  is  the  easiest  and  best  way. 


90' 


IQO°- 

FlG.   4QA.      HOW   THE   LINES   FOR   ISOMETRIC   DRAWINGS    ARE   MADE 

(2)  Take  a  sheet  of  white  paper  exactly  5%  inches 
wide  and  10  inches  long  and  draw  two  diagonal  lines 
from  corner  to  corner  so  that  they  will  cross  each 
other,  than  draw  a  vertical  line  through  the  middle  and 
a    horizontal    line    near    the    bottom.     The    diagonal 
and  horizontal  lines  will  be  30  degrees  apart. 

(3)  By  laying  a  30  degree  triangle  on  your  T  square 
and  drawing  a  line  along  the  30  degree  side  of  it  as 


.8 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


shown  in  Fig.  47;  and  (4)  by  laying  off  30  degree 
lines  with  a  protractor. 

To  do  this  tack  a  sheet  of  paper  on  your  drawing 
board  and  draw  a  horizontal  line  near  the  bottom  of 
the  paper  with  your  T  square;  put  your  protractor  on 
the  horizontal  line  near  one  end,  lay  the  edge  of  the 
rule  on  the  center  of  the  protractor  and  exactly  on  the 
30  degree  scale  mark  and  then  draw  a  line. 


FlG.  4QB.     A  SHEET  OF  ISOMETRIC  DRAWING  PAPER 

Slide  the  protractor  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
board,  draw  another  30  degree  diagonal  line  so  that 
it  will  cross  the  first  one  and  draw  a  vertical  line  down 
through  the  middle  of  the  paper. 

Having,  now,  your  sheet  of  isometric  ruled  paper 
you  are  ready  to  do  the  drawing.  Whatever  the  pic- 
ture is  to  be,  all  you  need  to  do  is  to  follow  the  30 
degree  lines  and  the  vertical  lines  and  you  simply 
can't  help  getting  it  in  perspective. 

In  drawing  isometric  perspective  circles,  such  as 
wheels,  disks  and  the  like,  they  are  always  shown  as 
ellipses,  that  is,  closed  oblong  curves.  To  draw  an 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     119 

isometric  ellipse, 3B  make  it  in  the  proportion  of  %  to  I, 
that  is,  if  it  is  %  inch  wide,  as  we  will  call  its  minor 
a.vis,  then  make  it  i  inch  long,  as  we  will  call  its 
major  axis,  as  shown  at  C  in  Fig.  49,  and  you  will 
have  one  that  is  near  enough  the  right  shape  for  your 
purpose;  thus  if  you  want  to  show  a  tube  or  a  pipe, 
draw  it  as  pictured  at  C.  Now  with  these  few  prin- 


/80' 


FlG.  4QC.      THE  PROPORTIONS  OF  AN  ISOMETRIC  ELLIPSE 

ciples  well  in  mind  you  can  make  a  working  drawing 
of  nearly  anything  you  please. 


Some  Simple  Aids  to  Drawing 

How  to  Draw  a  Circle. —  Should  you  ever  want  to 
draw  a  circle  and  have  no  compasses  at  hand  or  should 
you  want  to  draw  a  larger  circle  than  you  can  with 
your  compasses  tie  a  bit  of  strong  thread  to  a  pin, 
make  a  loop  in  the  string  at  whatever  length  you  want 

38  A  more  complete  description  of  isometric  ellipses  will  be 
found  in  Inventing  for  Boys  by  the  present  author  and  published 
by  Frederick  A.  Stokes  Co.,  of  New  York. 


120  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

the  radius  —  that  is  half  of  the  diameter  of  the  circle 
—  to  be. 

This  done,  drive  the  pin  in  at  the  point  where  you 
want  the  center  of  the  circle,  put  the  point  of  a 
lead  pencil  in  the  loop  and  move  it  around  the  pin,  as 
shown  at  A  in  Fig.  50,  keeping  the  thread  taut  and  a 
perfect  circle,  nearly,  will  result. 


FIG.  SOA.    HOW  TO  DRAW  A  CIRCLE  WITH  A  THREAD 

How  to  Draw  a  Spiral. —  Make  a  loop  in  one  end 
of  a  thread  as  before  and  tie  the  other  end  tightly  to 
a  large  pin;  wind  the  thread  around  the  pin  until  all  of 
it  is  on  except  the  loop;  push  the  pin  through  the 
paper  on  which  you  want  to  draw  the  spiral  and  into 
the  drawing  board  as  shown  at  B. 

Next  put  the  point  of  the  pencil  in  the  loop  and 
move  it  around  the  pin  just  as  you  did  in  making  the 
circle  and  you  will  find  that  you  have  drawn  a  very 
pretty  geometrical  spiral  which  is  known  as  the  spiral 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     121 

of  Archimedes.  It  is  so  called  because  Archimedes 
was  the  first  to  explain  that  it  was  caused  by  a  point 
moving  with  uniform  angular  speed  and  receding  from 
the  center  at  a  constant  rate. 


FIG.  SOB.    HOW  TO  DRAW  A  SPIRAL  WITH  A  THREAD 

How  to  Draw  an  Ellipse. —  An  ellipse  can  be 
drawn  in  the  same  way  as  a  circle,  that  is,  by  means 
of  a  string;  but  instead  of  one  pin  you  will  need  two 
and  each  pin  is  driven  in  at  the  foci  of  the  ellipse  you 
are  to  draw  as  shown  at  C.  Simply  make  a  loop  of 
the  string,  slip  it  over  the  pins,  put  the  pencil  point 
in  the  loop  and  move  it  around  the  pins  when  an 
ellipse  will  be  formed. 

How  to  Make  and  Use  a  Pantagraph. —  A  panta- 
graph  is  a  simple  mechanical  linkage  for  enlarging, 
copying  or  reducing  the  size  of  a  picture.  It  is  shown 
in  Fig.  51. 

To  make  one  of  these  instruments  get  four  strips  of 
wood  about  %  inch  thick,  %  an  inch  wide,  and  18  or 


122 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


20  inches  long.     Now  drill  M  6  inch  holes  %  inch  apart 
in  each  stick  the  whole  length  of  it.     In  the  ends  of 


FlG.  50C.      HOW  TO  DRAW  AN  ELLIPSE  WITH  A  THREAD 

three  of  the  sticks  make  a  hole  the  size  of  a  lead 
pencil. 

Make  two  tin  tubes  each  %  an  inch  long  and  fit  them 

j. 

/^Pr\K    \ 

PICTURE 
PICTURE 

PIVOT 
HERE 

FlG.    51.      HOW    A    PANTAGRAPH    IS    MADE    AND    USED 

into  the  holes  in  the  ends  of  the  sticks  and  push  a  bit 
of  pencil  through  each  tube;  screw  a  block  of  wood 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     123 

l/z  an  inch  thick  to  your  drawing  board  and  screw  one 
end  of  another  stick  to  the  block  and  the  sticks  to- 
gether with  screw  eyes. 

Now  tack  a  sheet  of  paper  under  the  pencil  in  the 
free  end  of  the  stick  and  a  picture  under  the  pencil 
in  the  jointed  ends  of  the  sticks,  then  trace  the  pic- 
ture with  the  latter,  and  the  other  pencil  will  make  an 
enlargement  of  the  picture.  By  changing  the  position 
of  the  sticks  a  picture  can  be  copied  or  reduced  in  the 
same  way.  A  pantagraph  can  be  bought  for  as  little 
as  25  cents  or  for  as  much  as  $i25.oo.39 


FlG.    52.      HOW    A   REFLECTING    DRAWING    BOARD    IS    MADE   AND   USED 

How  to  Make  a  Reflecting  Drawing  Board. — 
This  is  a  very  simple  and  easily  made  optical  apparatus 
for  copying  pictures  and  making  drawings  of  flat  ob- 
jects. Get  a  smooth  board,  or  your  drawing  board 

39  A  pantagraph  can  be  bought  of  any  dealer  in  art  supplies  or 
drawing  materials. 


124  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

will  do;  make  a  wood  frame  and  fit  an  8  x  10  sheet  of 
clear  glass  in  it  and  screw  the  frame  to  the  middle 
of  the  board  as  shown  in  Fig.  52. 

Now  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  lay  a  picture  or  a  flat 
object,  such  as  a  leaf  or  a  butterfly,  on  one  side  of 
the  glass  and  a  sheet  of  paper  on  the  other  side  and 
look  into  the  glass  at  a  sharp  slant,  or  acute  angle 
would  be  the  better  term,  and  you  will  see  the  picture 
projected  plainly  on  the  paper  so  that  you  can  easily 
draw  it  in  with  a  pencil. 

How  to  Make  Tracings. —  A  very  easy  and  ef- 
fective way  to  copy  any  picture  already  drawn,  or 
even  a  photograph,  in  line,  is  to  use  tracing  paper. 

This  kind  of  paper,  which  you  can  buy  of  any 
dealer  in  drawing  materials,  is  quite  transparent  and 
very  tough.  To  make  a  tracing  lay  the  drawing  you 
want  to  copy  on  your  drawing  board,  then  lay  the 
tracing  paper  on  top  of  it,  rough  side  up,  and  push  a 
thumb  tack  into  each  corner  to  hold  them  together. 

Now  trace  the  outline  of  the  picture  with  a  pen- 
cil and  then  draw  in  the  lines  with  India  ink.  If  the 
paper  does  not  take  the  ink  readily  rub  the  surface  of 
it  with  a  little  powdered  chalk  on  a  soft  rag.  You 
can  make  as  many  duplicate  copies  as  you  want  by 
using  a  printing  frame  and  blue  paper  according  to  the 
directions  given  in  the  next  chapter. 

To  Make  Lasting  Impressions. —  Here  is  an  easy 
way  to  make  lasting  impressions  of  your  own  and 
your  friends'  finger  prints  and  hands. 

Take  a  sheet  of  heavy  glazed  white  paper,  say  5x7 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     125 

inches,  and  hold  it  over  a  kerosene  lamp  with  the 
chimney  removed  and  the  top  of  the  burner  thrown 
back  so  that  the  flame  will  smoke  like  a  locomotive. 


FlG.   53.     A  LASTING   CARBON    (SOOT)    IMPRESSION   OF   YOUR   HAND 

Keep  moving  the  paper  about  to  make  the  soot,  which 
is  simply  particles  of  nearly  pure  carbon,  cover  the 
surface  of  the  paper  as  evenly  as  possible. 


126  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Lay  the  smoked  paper  on  a  table  and  then  press  the 
palm  of  your  hand  flat  down  on  it;  you  must  be  care- 
ful not  to  press  your  fingers  down  too  hard  or  the 
sharpness  of  the  fine  lines  will  be  destroyed.  To  get 
a  clear  impression  of  the  lines  in  the  hollow  of  your 
hand  press  down  on  the  back  of  it  with  the  fingers  of 
your  other  hand. 

After  you  have  made  the  print,  as  the  impression  is 
called,  pour  on  some  flint  varnish,  which  is  the  kind 
that  photographers  use  to  cover  the  films  of  glass 
negatives.  You  can  buy  it  at  any  photo  supply  house. 

Pour  a  teaspoon ful  on  one  corner  of  the  paper  and 
let  it  flow  down  and  across  until  the  whole  surface 
is  evenly  covered.  As  this  is  a  genuine  carbon  process 
the  prints  cannot  fade  and  they  will  last  as  long  as  the 
paper  lasts.  A  print  of  this  kind  made  by  the  author 
1 8  years  ago  is  shown  in  Fig.  53. 

The  Ancient  and  Honored  Art  of  Cutting  Silhou- 
ettes.— Since  you  are  of  the  younger  generation  let 
me  tell  you  just  what  a  silhouette  is,  and  why. 

It  is  a  profile,  or  side  view,  of  the  head  of  a  person 
cut  out  of  black  paper  and  mounted  on  a  white  card, 
or  else  cut  out  of  white  paper  with  a  piece  of  black 
silk  back  of  it  so  that  it  looks  like  a  shadow  in  minia- 
ture of  the  sitter. 

It  was  so  called  after  M.  de  Silhouette,  a  French 
Minister  of  Finance  in  1759;  his  rigid  economy  in  the 
conduct  of  his  office  caused  his  name  to  be  tacked  on 
to  everything  cheap  and  as  photography  had  not  yet 
been  discovered  and  painted  portraits  were  costly,  the 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     127 

paper  outlines  filled  in  with  black  were  the  cheapest 
substitute  known  and  hence  the  name. 

But  as  the  years  rolled  by  silhouettes  became  a  dig- 
nified and  honored  art  and  so  when  our  great  grand- 
father and  grandmother  wanted  to  have  their  pictures 
made  —  not  taken  —  they  went  to  a  shears  and  paste 
artist  who  cut  out  their  silhouettes. 


FlG.  54.      SILHOUETTES  OF  YOUR  GREAT-GRAND-PA  AND  GREAT-GRAND- 
MA (WHEN  THEY  WERE  YOUNG) 

While  the  art  of  cutting  silhouettes  is  all  but  a  lost 
one  because  photography  is  so  easy  and  shows  all  the 
details,  still  you  can  make  them  with  some  black  glazed 
paper  and  a  pair  of  sharp  shears  with  a  little  practice. 

Take  a  sheet  of  black  glazed  paper 40  about  2  inches 
wide  and  3  inches  long  and  seat  your  sitter  with  the 
side  of  his  or  her  face  turned  toward  you.  Now  with 

40  Glazed  paper  can  be  bought  at  stationery  stores  or  you  can 
get  it  from  Dennison  Mfg.  Co.,  5th  Ave.  and  26th  St.,  N.  Y.  C. 


128  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

a  pair  of  sharp  shears  begin  to  cut  the  paper,  starting 
at  the  chin  and  going  on  up  the  face  to  the  hair,  then 
around  to  the  back  of  the  head  and  finally  cutting  out 
the  collar  and  bust. 

All  the  time  you  are  cutting  you  must  keep  your 
artistic  eye  on  the  profile  of  your  sitter  and  your  me- 
chanical eye  on  your  shears  and  paper  and  you  will 
be  truly  surprised  to  find  how  little  knack  it  takes  to 
get  a  reasonably  faithful  likeness.  A  pair  of  silhou- 
ettes are  shown  in  Fig.  54. 

Transfer  Pictures,  or  Decalcomania. —  Of  course 
you  know  what  transfer  pictures  are.  There  are  very 
few  boys  indeed  who  have  not  bought  and  used  little 
5  cent  packages  of  jim-crow  transfer  pictures  and  you 
will  remember  that  usually  only  about  half  of  the 
picture  transferred  came  off.  But  this  was  because 
they  were  made  for  fun  and  not  for  real  work. 

Now  transfer  pictures,  or  decalcomania  (pronounced 
de-cal'co-ma'-ni-a)  or  decalcomanie  as  the  French  call 
it,  from  the  Latin  de  which  means  down,  plus  calquer, 
which  is  Latin  for  trace,  plus  mania  which  is  Greek 
for  madness,  are  used  by  hundreds  of  thousands 
by  painters  and  decorators  in  every  line  of  work. 
These  pictures  are  made  with  skill  and  care  and  when 
used  properly  will  not  break  or  come  off. 

These  transfer  pictures  can  be  bought  in  10,000 
different  subjects  and  cost  from  i%  cents  to  a  couple 
of  dollars  each.  The  pictures  include  every  subject 
imaginable  from  simple  little  flowers  to  birds  with 
wonderful  plumage  and  from  cupids  in  groups  to 


DRAWING  SIMPLY  EXPLAINED     129 

wo/ld's  fair  buildings ;  then  there  are  letters  and  mono- 
grams and  beautiful  crests  and  coats-of-arms  in  gold 
and  brilliant  colors. 

When  you  get  ready  to  do  decalcomanie  write  to 
Palm,  Fechteler  and  Company,  67  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York,  or  to  their  western  branch  at  54  West  Lake 
Street,  Chicago,  Ills.,  for  a  price-list  and  this  will  give 
you  a  description,  the  height  and  length  of  each  pic- 
ture, the  number  of  pictures  on  a  sheet  and  the  price 
per  sheet. 

Hozv  to  Transfer  the  Pictures. —  The  regular  pic- 
tures can  be  transferred  to  wood,  metal,  painted  sur- 
faces, etc.,  but  instead  of  soaking  them  in  water  alone 
as  you  used  to  with  the  toy  pictures  you  give  the  face 
of  them  a  very  thin  coat  of  a  good,  quick  drying,  rub- 
bing varnish  which  you  can  get  at  a  paint  store,  or 
better,  use  a  transfer  varnish  which  you  can  buy  of 
the  above  company  for  35  cents  for  a  Y?  pint  can. 

After  you  have  applied  the  varnish  to  the  face  of 
the  picture  let  it  dry  until  it  is  very  tacky;  now  put 
the  face  of  the  transfer  down  on  the  surface,  wet  it 
with  water  on  a  sponge  and  roll  it  down  hard  with  a 
felt  roller. 

In  a  couple  of  minutes  wet  the  paper  again  thor- 
oughly with  water  and  peel  it  off ;  roll  it  down  at  once 
with  a  wet  felt  roller  and  tap  it  off  with  a  piece  of 
chamois  skin.  After  the  design  or  picture  has  dried 
for  20  minutes  or  so,  the  varnish  around  it  can  be 
removed  by  dampening  it  with  dilute  turpentine,  am- 
monia or,  better,  with  a  detergent  made  of  equal 


130  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

parts  of  turpentine  and  crude  oil  and  immediately 
rubbing  it  away  lightly  and  quickly  with  a  dry,  soft 
rag. 

After  the  picture  has  been  transferred  as  above,  it 
should  be  given  one  or  more  protecting  coats  of  var- 
nish the  next  day. 


CHAPTER  VI 
SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY 

SINCE  the  slogan  you  press  the  button  and  we'll  do 
the  rest  has  come  to  be  so  well  known  everybody  makes 
photographs.  But  there  are  a  number  of  kinks  in  and 
side  issues  of  photography  that  are  amusing,  instruc- 
tive or  useful  and  which  if  you  do  not  already  know 
about  will  prove  of  service  to  you. 


7" 


FlG.  55.      A  PHOTO  PRINTING  FRAME 

How  to  Make  Blue  Prints. —  This  is  the  very  sim- 
plest and  one  of  the  most  useful  kinds  of  photography. 
You  need  but  very  little  material  to  make  the  pictures 
with  and  the  little  you  need  will  cost  less  than  a  dollar. 
131 


132  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

The  Materials  Required. —  Buy,  or  you  can  make, 
(i)  a  5  x/  printing  frame  as  shown  in  Fig.  55  and 
get  a  sheet  of  clear  glass  to  fit  it,  and  (2)  a  couple  of 
dozen  sheets  of  5  x  7  blue-paper^  which  you  can  buy 
at  any  photographic  supply  house. 

Now  take  one  of  the  drawings  you  have  made  on 
tracing  paper  or  on  tracing  cloth  with  India  ink  as  I 
described  in  the  last  chapter  and  lay  it  with  its  inked 
surface  on  the  glass;  lay  on  this  a  sheet  of  blue-paper 
with  its  sensitised  side  on  the  tracing  paper  or  cloth ; 
put  the  back  of  the  printing  frame  on  top  of  the  blue- 
paper,  press  the  springs  into  place  and  set  the  frame 
in  the  sunlight. 

Every  few  minutes  open  a  half  of  the  hinged  back 
of  the  printing  frame  and  take  a  look  at  the  blue 
paper  to  see  if  the  printing  is  far  enough  along. 
When  the  lines  of  the  drawing  show  plainly  on  it 
take  the  print  out  of  the  frame  and  wash  it,  as  it  is 
called,  by  letting  water  run  on  it  or  by  putting  it 
through  several  changes  of  water. 

When  it  is  well  washed  hang  it  up  on  a  line  by  a 
corner  to  dry  and  you  will  have  a  good,  clear  print 
with  white  lines  on  a  blue  ground.  In  this  way  by 
using  a  negative  that  you  have  made  with  a  camera, 
especially  if  it  is  a  marine  view,  you  can  get  some  very 
pretty  and  artistic  pictures. 

Another  Kind  of  Contact  Printing. —  If  you  like 

41  You  can  make  blue  print  paper  by  dissolving  ammonium 
ferric  citrate  in  warm  water  and  coating  the  surface  of  the  paper 
with  it  by  floating  it  on  top  of  the  solution. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     133 

nature  you  can  use  the  above  process  of  contact  print- 
ing to  fine  advantage.  Instead  of  blue  paper  it  is  bet- 
ter to  use  what  is  known  as  solio  paper42  or  silver 
paper.** 

To  make  a  contact  silver  print  first  put  a  finely 
veined  leaf,  the  filmy  wing  of  a  butterfly,  a  piece  of 
delicate  lace  or  any  other  thin,  translucent  object  on 
the  glass  in  the  printing  frame,  lay  a  sheet  of  solio, 
or  silver  paper  over  it,  then  put  the  back  in  the  frame 
and  fix  the  springs. 

Set  the  frame  so  that  the  sunlight  will  fall  full  on 
the  glass  side  of  it.  From  time  to  time  open  half  of 
the  hinged  back  and  see  how  the  print  is  coming  on; 
make  the  print  a  couple  of  shades  darker  than  you 
want  it  when  finished,  but  be  careful  not  to  overexpose 
it  for  silver  paper  prints  much  quicker  than  blue  paper. 

To  Tone  and  Fix  the  Picture. —  To  tone  a  silver 
print  means  to  change  its  color  and  give  it  more 
brilliancy  and  this  is  done  by  putting  it  in  a  chemical 
solution  made  of  chloride  of  gold,  or  toning  bath  as  it 
is  called. 

To  fix  a  print  means  to  treat  it  so  that  the  light  will 
no  longer  act  upon  it  and  this  is  done  with  a  solution 
of  hyphosulphite  of  soda  or  just  hypo  as  it  is  called 
for  short. 

The  easiest  way  to  tone  and  fix  your  silver  prints 
is  to  buy  a  bottle  of  solio  toning  solution 44  which  is 

42  Solio  paper  is  coated  first  with  gelatin  and  then  with  silver. 

43  Silver   paper   is   coated   first   with   albumen   and   then   with 
silver. 

44  It  can  be  bought  at  any  store  where  photographic  materials 


134  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

a  combined  toning  and  fixing  bath.  Take  the  print 
from  the  frame  and  do  not  wash  it  but  put  it  into  a 
tray  in  which  you  have  mixed  2  ounces  of  solio  toning 
solution  and  4  ounces  of  cold  water. 

When  the  print  takes  on  the  proper  color  put  it  into 
another  tray  containing  a  solution  made  of  /  ounce  of 
salt  and  32  ounces  of  water;  let  it  stay  in  this  bath  for 
5  minutes  to  stop  the  toning.  Now  put  the  print  into 
another  tray  and  wash  it  in  16  changes  of  water  or  in 
running  water  for  an  hour.  If  you  make  a  half  or  a 
dozen  prints  at  once  you  can  tone  and  fix  them  at  the 
same  time. 

Recipe  for  a  Combined  Toning  and  Fixing  Solu- 
tion.—  To  make  a  combined  toning  and  fixing  bath 
mix  up  two  solutions,  called  stock  solutions,  as  fol- 
lows: 

Stock  Solution  A. —  Dissolve  in  20  ounces  of  cold 
water  2  ounces  of  hypo,  i%  ounces  of  alum  in  crystals 
and  l/2  an  ounce  of  granulated  sugar.  Then  dissolve 
%  an  ounce  of  borax  in  2  ounces  of  hot  water  and 
mix  it  with  the  hypo  solution ;  let  it  stand  over  night 
and  then  pour  off  the  clear  liquid. 

Stock  Solution  B. —  Dissolve  %  of  a  grain  of  pure 
chloride  of  gold  and  32  grains  of  acetate  of  lead  in  4 
ounces  of  water. 

Now  when  you  want  to  tone  a  picture  or  half  a 
dozen  4x5  prints,  take  4  ounces  of  the  stock  solution 
A  and  %  an  ounce  of  the  stock  solution  B  and  pour 

are  sold  or  you  can  make  it  yourself  from  the  formula  given  on 
this  page. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     135 


them  into  a  tray  and  tone  them  as  I  have  previously 
described. 

The  Simplest  Kind  of  a  Camera. —  When  you  can 
buy  a  real  camera  for  two  or  three  dollars  it  seems  of 
little  use  to  make  one,  so  just  consider  the  camera  I 
shall  describe  as  a  scientific  curiosity  rather  than  an 
apparatus  of  utility. 


xflOX 


SHUTTER  LEVER  OPEN 
TO  EXPOS  5  PLATE 


SHUTTER  LEVER  CLOSED 
AND  RESTING  ON  PIN  STOP 


FlG.  56.      AN  EASILY  MADE  PIN-HOLE  CAMERA 

A.  Cross   section   showing  the  notched   strips. 

B.  The  way  the  shutter  works. 

To  make  a  pin-hole  camera,  so  called  because  a  pin 
hole  takes  the  place  of  a  lens,  form  a  box  of  pasteboard 
or  of  thin  wood  4  inches  square  and  8  inches  long; 
cut  a  hole  %  of  an  inch  in  diameter  in  one  end  for 
the  pin  hole.  Fit  a  strip  of  wood  Yz  an  inch  thick 
and  4  inches  long,  having  notches  cut  into  it  to  a 
depth  of  Ys  inch,  to  the  sides  of  the  box  as  shown 
at  A  in  Fig.  56.  These  notched  strips  are  to  hold  a 


136  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

sensitised  dry  plate.45  Next  make  a  shutter,  that  is, 
a  little  device  to  open  and  close  the  pin-hole;  it  is 
simply  a  bit  of  sheet  brass  2%  inches  long,  %  inch 
wide  at  one  end  and  %  an  inch  wide  at  the  other  end 
as  shown  at  B.  Drill  a  hole  %  inch  in  diameter  in  the 
center  of  the  strip  of  brass  and  pivot  this  to  the  front 
of  the  box  so  that  it  is  on  a  horizontal  line  with  the 
center  of  the  hole. 

Now  to  make  the  pin-hole,  and  certainly  no  pin- 
hole  was  ever  more  important  than  this  one.  Glue  a 
thick  piece  of  nice  smooth  tinfoil  over  the  hole  on  the 
inside  of  the  box  and  with  a  fairly  good-sized  pin, 
or  better  a  needle,  prick  a  smooth  hole  in  the  center 
of  it. 

You  are  ready  now  to  take  a  picture  and  to  do  so 
slip  a  sheet  of  ground  glass*®  into  the  grooves  in  the 
camera  up  close  and  then  farther  back  until  you  can 
see  the  picture  plain.  This  done  take  the  camera  into 
your  dark-room*7  and  load  a  dry  plate  into  it,  put 
the  cover  on  the  box  and  fasten  a  black  cloth  over  it 
with  a  rubber-band  as  shown  at  C  in  Fig.  56. 

Go  out  and  point  your  camera  at  the  object  you 
want  to  photograph,  be  it  a  landscape,  a  seascape  or  a 
scapegoat,  press  down  on  the  lever  for  a  second,  let 

45  A  dry  plate  is  a  sheet  of  glass  coated  on  one  side  with  gela- 
tin and  bromide  of  silver  which  makes  it  sensitive  to  light. 

46  You  will  find  directions  for  making  it  in  Chapter  IX. 

47  A  dark  room  must  be  used  because  a  ray  of  any  kind  of 
light  except  red  will  spoil  a  dry  plate  the  instant  it  strikes  it.    A 
red-lamp  can  be  bought  for  a  quarter  or  you  can  make  one  and 
either  use  a  sheet  of  red  glass  or  red  dark-room  paper. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     137 

go  of  it  when  it  will  drop  back  and  cover  the  pin-hole 
again  and  the  exposure  is  made. 

How  to  Develop  a  Dry  Plate. —  Next  take  your 
camera  into  your  dark-room  and  develop  the  plate, 
that  is,  immerse  it  in  a  chemical  solution  called  a 
developer  to  bring  the  picture  out  on  it.  To  do  this 
you  must  get  a  tray  and  put  the  exposed  dry-plate  in 
it,  film  side  up,  and  pour  the  developer  over  it. 


FlG    560.      THE   PIN-HOLE   CAMERA    COMPLETE    WITH    CLOTH    AND 
RUBBER  BAND 


Rock  the  tray  after  you  have  poured  the  developer 
over  the  plate  to  keep  the  solution  flowing  forth  and 
back  evenly  over  it  all  the  time.  When  you  see  the 
image  very  plainly  take  the  plate  out  of  the  developer, 
wash  it  in  clean  water  and  then  lay  it  with  the  film 
side  up  in  a  tray  containing  the  fixing  bath. 


138  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Let  the  negative  —  when  the  plate  is  exposed  and 
developed  it  is  called  a  negative  —  remain  in  the  fixing 
bath  until  all  the  white  parts,  that  is,  the  free  silver 
which  was  not  affected  by  the  light,  have  disappeared 
and  then  let  a  gentle  stream  of  water  run  on  it  for  an 
hour  or  wash  it  in  16  changes  of  clean  water.  Stand 
it  in  a  negative  rack  over  night  to  dry  and  then  you 
can  make  prints  from  it. 

How  to  Make  the  Developer. —  You  can  make  a 
good,  tried  and  true  developer  in  two  solutions  as  fol- 
lows: 

Pyro  Solution,  A. —  Take  i  ounce  of  pyrogallic 
acid,  called  pyro  for  short,  dissolve  it  in  28  ounces 
of  water  and  then  add  20  minims  of  sulphuric  acid. 

Soda  Solution,  B. —  Dissolve  2  ounces  of  desic- 
cated 48  carbonate  of  soda  and  3  ounces  of  sulphite  of 
soda  in  28  ounces  of  water. 

When  you  want  to  develop  a  plate  mix  %  an  ounce 
of  the  pyro  solution  and  %  an  ounce  of  the  soda  solu- 
tion with  4  ounces  of  water  and  to  do  this  you  need  a 
graduated  glass. 

How  to  Make  a  Fixing  Bath. —  To  make  a  good  fix- 
ing bath  for  dry  plates  dissolve  i  ounce  of  hypo,  60 
grains  of  sulphite  of  soda  in  crystals  and  %  ounce  of 
borax  in  20  ounces  of  water.  A  developer  can  only 
be  used  for  one  or  two  plates  but  you  can  fix  50  plates 
in  the  same  fixing  bath. 

A  Good  and  Cheap  Camera. —  To  take  real  pic- 

48  Desiccate  means  thoroughly  dry. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     139 


tures  you  want  a  real  camera.  Now  there  are  many 
kinds  of  hand  cameras  but  there  is  only  one  size  that 
I  am  going  to  try  to  interest  you  in  and  that  is  one 
which  will  make  pictures  3%  x  4%  inches. 

With  a  camera  of  this  size  you  can  take  nicely 
proportioned  little  pictures  to  give  to  your  friends,  to 
keep  in  your  album,  to  make  enlargements  of  and  to 
make  lantern  slides  of  by  direct  contact  printing  and 
this  will  save  you  a  lot  of  trouble. 


FlG.   57.      TWO  CHEAP   AND  GOOD  CAMERAS 

A.  A  Brownie  box  kodak. 

B.  A  folding  kodak. 

The  cheapest  3>4  x  41A  camera  you  can  buy  is  a  No. 
3  Brownie  box  kodak, ^  see  A  Fig.  57,  which  costs 
about  $3.00.  A  folding  No.  3  Brownie  camera,  shown 
at  B,  will  serve  your  needs  much  better  and  this  one 
will  cost  you  in  the  neighborhood  of  $5.50,  or  you  can 

49  These  cameras  can  be  bought  most  anywhere  or  you  can  send 
to  the  Eastman  Kodak  Company,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


140  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

buy  a  Graflcx  camera™  for  $75.00  if  father  is  rich 
and  mother  doesn't  care. 

Every  good  camera  has  what  is  called  a  rectilinear 
lens,  that  is,  a  compound  lens  formed  of  two  achro- 
matic lenses,  which  means  that  each  acromatic  lens  is 
made  up  again  of  two  lenses  one  of  which  is  of  crown 
glass  and  the  other  is  of  flint  glass,  and  these  two 
latter  lenses  are  cemented  together  with  Canada 
balsam.51 

Now  whereas  a  common  convex  lens  will  produce 
all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  around  its  edges  when  a 
ray  of  light  passes  through  it,  an  acromatic  lens  lets 
through  only  the  white  light  and  while  a  single  convex 
lens  makes  the  straight  lines  of  a  building  curved  in 
the  picture,  an  acromatic  lens  keeps  all  the  lines 
straight,  or  rectilinear,  and  hence  its  name. 

These  little  cameras  are  filled  with  mechanical  snap 
shutters  and  they  use  roll  films,  that  is  the  sensitive 
silver  and  gelatine  emulsion  is  spread  on  a  thin  cel- 
luloid film  instead  of  on  glass  plates.  These  roll  films 
come  on  spools  in  lengths  of  %  and  i  dozen  each  and 
they  can  be  loaded  into  the  camera  in  daylight.  The 
same  kind  of  developing  and  fixing  solutions  are  used 
for  films  that  are  used  for  dry-plates. 

How  to  Make  an  Enlarging  Apparatus. —  To 
make  an  enlarged  picture  of  a  small  negative  take 

50  With  this  kind  of  a  camera  you  can  see  the  object  you  are 
photographing  up  to  the  very  instant  you  snap  the  shutter. 

51  This  is  a  clear  gum  that  is  obtained  from  a  tree  called  the 
Canada  balsam. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     141 

out  the  back  of  your  camera  and  get  two  perfectly 
clear  sheets  of  glass  to  fit  the  opening. 

Make  a  box  of  %  inch  thick  wood,  6  inches  wide, 
6  inches  long  and  7  inches  high  and  have  the  top  of  it 
separate  so  that  it  can  be  lifted  off  and  put  on  the 
box.  In  the  middle  of  the  top  near  one  edge  cut  a 
hole  1%  inches  in  diameter  and  put  an  electric  light 
socket  —  to  which  a  cord  and  plug  is  fixed  —  in  it 
as  far  as  it  will  go  and  then  screw  in  a  nitrogen  100 


C/?OSS  SECT! ON 
OF  THE  TOP  OF 


FlG.    5&A.      A    HOME-MADE    ENLARGING    APPARATUS 

The  lamp  set  in  the  top  of  the  illuminating  box. 

watt   electric   lamp  °2   which   gives   about    75    candle 
power,  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  58. 

Cut  a  hole  out  of  the  front  board  3%  x  4%  inches 
and  fasten  a  sheet  of  ground  glass  53  or,  better,  of 
opal  glass  54  over  the  opening.  Get  a  sheet  of  bright 

52  The  Delco  Light  Co.,  52  Park  Place,  New  York,  sells  these 
lamps  and  all  other  electrical  supplies. 

53  Ground  glass  can  be  bought  at  a  glazier's  or  you  can  make  it 
as  explained  in  Chapter  IX. 

"Opal  glass. 


142  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

tin  6  inches  wide  and  10  inches  long,  bend  it  into  a 
semi-circle  and  set  it  in  the  box  so  that  it  will  reflect 
the  light  from  the  lamp  in  front  of  it  through  the 
ground  glass  screen  as  shown  at  B. 

Next  make  a  stand  for  holding  the  bromide  paper  55 
which  is  to  be  used  for  the  enlargement.  About  the 
easiest  way  to  do  this  is  to  take  a  i  inch  thick  board 
6  inches  wide  and  saw  off  a  piece  12  inches  long. 
Fasten  your  drawing  board  to  it  with  a  couple  of 
angle  blocks  as  shown  at  D,  and  you  are  ready  to  make 
an  enlargement. 

How  to  Make  an  Enlargement. —  When  you  have 
the  apparatus  ready  set  the  camera  and  the  illuminator, 
as  the  box  with  the  light  in  it  is  called,  on  another 
table.  Put  the  negative  between  two  plain  sheets  of 
glass  and  then  fasten  them  to  the  camera  with  a 
couple  of  large  rubber  bands;  set  the  illuminator  with 
the  ground-glass  screen  close  up  against  the  negative 
in  the  back  of  the  camera,  as  shown  at  C. 

Now  set  the  drawing  board  stand  about  4  feet  away 
from  the  lens  of  the  camera  to  make  an  8  x  10  en- 
largement. Open  the  shutter,  turn  on  the  light  and 
focus  the  camera,  that  is,  move  the  stand  to  and  from 
the  camera  until  the  enlarged  picture  is  sharp.  When 
you  get  it  so,  close  the  shutter  and  cover  up  the  cracks 
where  the  light  leaks  through  with  a  dark  cloth. 

Make  the  room  perfectly  dark  except  for  your  dark- 
room light  and  then  put  a  sheet  of  bromide  paper  on 

55  Bromide  paper  is  a  paper  sensitized  with  a  compound  of  sil- 
ver and  bromine. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     143 

the  drawing  board  with  thumb  tacks.  Open  the  shut- 
ter of  the  lens  and  expose  the  paper  to  the  light  passing 
through  the  negative  and  then  close  it  again.  The 
bromide  paper  is  developed  and  fixed  just  like  a  dry 
plate  when  your  enlargement  is  done. 

In  handling  bromide  paper  you  must  be  almost  as 
careful  as  you  are  with  dry  plates  or  films.     Before 


FlG.   S8B.     A   HOME-MADE  ENLARGING  APPARATUS 

B.  The  illuminator  showing  the  tin  reflector  in  it. 

C.  The  camera. 

D.  The  stand  for  holding  the  bromide  paper. 

making  a  picture  it  is  a  good  scheme  to  test  the  length 
of  time  to  expose  the  paper.  To  do  this  take  a  sheet 
of  bromide  paper  and  cut  it  into  strips  i  inch  wide  and 
10  inches  long;  fasten  a  strip  at  a  time  diagonally 
across  the  board  and  expose  the  first  one  for  say  5 
minutes  and  then  develop  it,  when  you  can  usually 
tell  about  how  long  the  exposure  should  be. 

A  Developer  for  Bromide  Paper. —  A  good  stock 
solution  developer   for  bromide  paper,   velox  paper, 


144 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


films  and  dry  plates  can  be  made  by  adding  these 
chemicals  to  25  ounces  of  hot  water  in  the  order  named 
and  stirring  in  each  one  until  it  is  dissolved;  elon  % 
ounce;  dessiccated  sulphite  of  soda  i%  ounces;  hydro- 
chinon  %  ounce;  desiccated  carbonate  of  soda  5% 
ounces ;  potassium  bromide  30  grains  and  wood  alcohol 
3  ounces. 

TIH  REFLECTOR 


ELECTR. 
ALIGHT- 
BULB  flrtp 
SOCKET\ 


THE  ILLUWNflTOR. 


FlG.    580.      A    HOME-MADE    ENLARGING    APPARATUS 

E.    Cross  section  top  view  of  the  enlarging  apparatus. 

This  developer  will  keep  for  a  long  time  if  the 
bottle  containing  it  is  kept  full,  otherwise  the  air  will 
act  on  it.  To  develop  six  8  x  10  bromide  prints  use  i 
ounce  of  the  stock  solution  and  6  ounces  of  water. 

To  fix  bromide  prints  keep  them  moving  in  a  bath 
made  by  dissolving  8  ounces  of  hypo  in  2  quarts  of 
water  and  then  adding  ^  ounce  of  metabisidphite  of 
potassium  and  /4  ounce  of  powdered  alum.  Let  the 
prints  remain  in  this  bath  for  about  10  minutes  and  then 
wash  them  thoroughly. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     145 

How  to  Make  a  Reflectoscope. —  A  reflectoscope 
is  a  kind  of  magic  lantern  but  instead  of  using  trans- 
parent glass  slides  you  can  use  any  picture  or  opaque 
object  such  as  the  works  of  a  watch,  your  hand,  etc, 
and  throw  an  image  of  it  on  the  screen. 

If  you  have  a  folding  camera  56  you  can  convert  it 


LAHP. 


PICTURE/S 
HELD  HERE 


DOTTED 

LINES  IN DIC ATE 
DEFLECTOR. 

FlG.  59       A  CHEAPLY  MADE  REFLECTOSCOPE 

A.  The  projector. 

B.  The  illuminator 


into  a  dandy  reflectoscope,  so  get  busy  with  your 
tools.  Make  a  box  —  it  is  really  two  boxes  fastened 
together  —  of  the  peculiar  shape  shown  in  Fig.  59, 
and  it  can  be  of  wood  or  of  metal  as  you  wish. 

First  make  the  larger  box,  which  we  will  call  the 
projector,  and  this  should  be  4%  inches  long,  5  inches 

56  A  box  camera  can  not  be  used  because  it's  focus  is  fixed. 


146 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


wide  and  5  inches  high  57 —  and  leave  the  front,  back 
and  one  side  off.  To  the  top  and  bottom  fasten  on 
two  wood  cleats  %  an  inch  square  and  5  inches  long 
to  fix  the  projector  to  the  camera  with.  This  box 
is  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  59. 


FIG.  590.  A  CROSS  SECTION  TOP  VIEW  OF  THE  REFLECTOSCOPE 

This  done,  make  another  box  for  the  illuminator  3 
inches  wide,  3  inches  long  on  one  side,  and  4%  inches 
long  on  the  other  side,  and  5  inches  high.  Bend  a 
piece  of  bright  tin  for  the  reflector  and  set  this  in  the 
back  as  shown  at  B. 

Cut  a  i%  inch  hole  through  the  top  for  an  electric 
lamp  as  described  in  the  directions  for  making  an  en- 
larging lantern;  the  top  should  be  tight  fitting  but  so 
67  It  must  fit  the  back  of  your  camera. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     147 

made  that  it  can  be  taken  off  and  put  on  at  your 
pleasure. 

Now  glue,  screw,  solder  or  otherwise  fix  the  two 
boxes  together  and  the  reflecting  part  of  the  apparatus 
is  done.  To  complete  it  fasten  the  back  of  your 
camera  to  the  cleats  on  the  top  and  bottom  of  the 
box  with  strong  rubber  bands  as  shown  at  C,  which 
is  a  top  view  of  the  reflectoscope. 


FlG.  5QD.   THE  REFLECTOSCOPE  READY  FOR  USE 

To  Use  the  ReHectoscope. —  Tack  a  white  sheet  to 
the  wall  and  set  the  reflectoscope  at  a  distance  of  about 
10  feet  from  it  with  the  lens  pointing  toward  it,  of 
course. 

Next  turn  on  the  light  in  the  box  and  turn  off  all 
the  lights  in  the  room  and  make  it  as  dark  as  you  can. 
Hold  a  picture  of  any  kind  against  the  opening  in  the 
back  of  the  projector  box  and  then  focus  the  camera 


148  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

until  the  picture  on  the  screen  is  as  sharp  as  you  can 
get  it. 

The  way  the  reflectoscope  works  is  like  this:  the 
picture  is  projected  upon  the  screen  in  virtue  of  the 
fact  that  the  direct  light  from  the  lamp,  as  well  as 
that  portion  of  it  which  is  reflected  back  by  the  tin,  is 
thrown  against  the  surface  of  the  picture  or  object 
held  in  the  opening;  from  this  the  light  is  reflected 
through  the  lens  which  enlarges  it  and  projects  it  on 
the  screen. 

How  to  Make  a  Magic  Lantern. —  To  make  a 
magic  lantern  out  of  a  camera  is  just  as  easy  as  it  is 
to  make  a  reflectoscope  but  you  will  have  to  buy  a 
condensing  lens58  and  this  will  cost  50  cents  to  $1.00, 
according  to  size. 

For  this  lantern  you  can  use  either  a  box  or  a  bel- 
lows camera,  though  the  latter  is  better  because  the 
picture  can  be  focused.  Whichever  you  use  make  a 
base  of  a  i  inch  thick  board,  5%  inches  wide  and  14 
inches  long  and  nail  or  screw  two  strips  of  wood  % 
an  inch  wide,  %  inch  high  and  8  inches  long  along  the 
edges  on  one  side  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  60. 

If  your  camera  is  of  the  box  kind  set  it  in  between 
the  strips  on  the  base  on  the  front  end,  but  if  it  is  of 
the  bellows  type  then  you  will  have  to  make  a  shelf 
for  it  as  shown  at  B  to  hold  the  camera  in  place  as 
shown  at  C. 

58  The  L.  E.  Knott  Apparatus  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.,  sells  a  2  inch 
condensing  lens  for  50  cents;  a  3  inch  one  for  75  cents,  and  a 
4J4  inch  one  for  $1.10. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     149 

Next  make  an  illuminator  as  described  above  in  the 
text  How  to  Make  an  Enlarging  Apparatus,  but  in- 
stead of  covering  the  front  with  ground  glass  make 
a  board  to  fit  it  and  cut  a  hole  in  it  the  exact  size  of 
the  condensing  lens.  This  lens  is  a  piano  or  a  double 
convex  lens  as  shown  at  D  and  while  it  should  be  4% 
inches  in  diameter  to  get  all  of  the  picture  on  the 
screen  you  can  use  a  lens  as  small  as  2  inches  though 
all  of  the  picture  will  not  show. 


14 

THE  BASE  OF  THE 
LANTERN 


C 

KU BBC  I?  BAND 
THE  FRAME.  TO  HOLD        / 
fl  POCKET  FOLDING  Hnv/THf 

r>arvjpi?a  HOW  THE 

CflMERfilS 
FIXEDTOTHf 


FlG.  60.      THE  PARTS  OF  A  HOME-MADE  MAGIC  LANTERN 

Cut  out  six  clips  of  sheet  brass  %6  inch  wide  and 
%  an  inch  long  and  punch  a  hole  in  the  end  of  each 
piece.  Screw  three  of  these  clips  to  each  side  of  the 
board  at  equi-distant  points  around  the  hole  so  that  the 
end  of  each  one  projects  over  the  edge  of  the  hole  Ys 
inch.  Now  put  the  lens  in  the  hole  and  adjust  the 
ends  of  the  clips  so  that  they  will  hold  the  lens  in  place 
as  shown  at  E. 


150 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


The  next  and  last  thing  to  do  is  to  cut  two  strips  of 
tin  or  brass  I  inch  wide  and  3  inches  long  and  bend 
each  one  over  the  long  way  as  shown  at  F ;  punch  three 
holes  near  the  lower  edge  of  each  one  and  screw  one 
of  them  above  and  one  below  the  condensing  lens  on 
the  board  3%  inches  apart  as  shown  at  E.  These 
bent  strips  form  the  holder  for  the  lantern  slides.  The 
magic  lantern  complete  is  shown  at  G. 


FlG.  60G.      THE  MAGIC  LANTERN  READY  FOR  USE 

How  to  Work  the  Lantern. —  Tack  a  bed-sheet  up 
on  the  wall ;  turn  on  the  light  in  the  illuminator  and 
turn  off  all  the  lights  in  the  room;  slip  a  lantern  slide 
upside  down  in  the  holder  and  then  push  the  rear  end 
of  the  camera  —  having  first  taken  out  the  back  — 
close  up  to  the  lantern  slide  holder. 

If  you  are  using  a  box  camera  move  the  whole 
lantern  back  until  the  picture  is  as  large  as  you  want 
it  and  it  is  still  bright  enough.  If  it  is  a  pocket  fold- 
ing camera  you  can  focus  it  and  get  a  picture  with 
much  better  definition. 

How  to  Make  Lantern  Slides. —  A  lantern  slide  is 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     151 

a  sheet  of  glass  with  a  transparent  picture  on  it.  A 
standard  lantern  slide  is  3*4  x  4^4  inches  and  one  of 
this  size  can  be  used  in  any  full  sized  magic  lantern  or 
stereopticon.™ 

To  make  lantern  slides  by  direct  contact  printing  is 
not  a  hard  thing  to  do  at  all,  and  all  the  equipment 
you  need  to  make  them  besides  the  chemicals  is  a 
printing  frame.  Put  a  sheet  of  clean  glass  in  it  and 
lay  your  negative  on  it  with  the  film  side  up. 

Now  lay  the  lantern  slide  plate  60  with  the  film  side 
down  on  the  negative  just  as  though  you  were  going 
to  make  a  print,  but  you  must  make  it  in  your  dark 
room,  using  a  white  light  to  expose  it  of  course,  for  it 
is  just  as  sensitive  as  a  dry  plate  or  a  film.  When 
you  expose  it  hold  the  printing  frame  about  12  inches 
away  from  the  light. 

A  lantern  slide  plate  is  developed,  fixed  and  washed 
exactly  like  a  dry  plate  but  to  get  the  best  results  you 
should  use  the  kind  of  developer  called  for  in  the 
directions  that  come  with  the  plates. 

When  you  have  the  lantern  slide  made,  place  a  sheet 
of  clear  glass  of  the  same  size  —  called  the  cover- 
glass  —  on  the  film  side  of  it  and  bind  the  edges  with 
passepartout  binding,  that  is  a  strip  of  paper  gummed 
on  one  side.  It  is  then  ready  for  use. 

How  to  Make  Radium  Photographs. —  You  can 
make  radium  photographs,  or  skiagraphs  as  they  are 

59  A  stereopticon  is  really  two  magic  lanterns,  but  the  word  is 
now  often  used  to  mean  a  high-grade  magic  lantern. 

60  Lantern  slide  plates  can  be  bought  at  any  photographic  sup- 
ply house. 


152  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

called,  with  any  one  of  a  number  of  radioactive  sub- 
stances and  at  a  very  small  outlay. 

The  four  most  important  radioactive  substances,  if 
we  except  radium  itself,  are  black  uranium  oxide, 
pitchblende,  thorium  nitrate  and  uranium  nitrate. 
You  can  buy  any  one  of  these  substances  in  a  glass 
stoppered  bottle  for  $1.00  or  the  set  of  four  for 
$3-5o.61 

While  the  radioactivity  of  these  substances  is  low  it 
is  sufficient  to  make  a  shadow-picture  —  and  this  is  all 
that  an  X-ray  picture  is  —  of  a  coin  or  other  small 


UWMUM  ORE  ON        BLACK. 

ENVELOPE  OUTS'DE  LIGHT  PROOF      PH07O-SHADOV/    HALO 
ON  NEGATIVE 


tst/yyELOPE 


COIN  ON  DRY  PLATE      ******* 


INSIDE  OF  ENVELOPE    ,NS/DEOF 
EfWEL  OP£ 
FlG.  6l.      A   PHOTOGRAPH   OF  A  COIN    MADE  WITH   RADIUM 

object  if  it  is  laid  on  top  of  a  dry  plate  sealed  in  a 
black  paper  envelope,  which  is  opaque  to  the  light. 

That  is,  the  coin  is  laid  on  the  envelope  containing 
the  dry  plate,  and  the  bottle  with  the  radioactive  sub- 
stance in  it  is  laid  on  top  of  the  coin.  Let  them  re- 
main undisturbed  in  this  way  for  a  couple  of  days  and 
you  will  find  on  developing  the  plate  a  very  good 
radiograph,  or  shadow  picture  of  the  coin  as  shown 
in  Fig.  61. 

61  The  L.  E.  Knott  Apparatus  Co.,  Boston,  carries  these  radio- 
active substances  in  stock. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     153 

Trick  Photography 

Spirit  Photographs. —  When  photography  was 
young  Sir  John  Herschel,  the  great  astronomer,  got 
up  what  he  called  magic  photographs  and  these  have 
been  worked  under  the  name  of  spirit  photographs  by 
half  of  the  mediums  in  the  business. 

The  idea  is  to  show  the  victim  of  superstition  his 
future  wife  or  her  future  husband.  To  this  end  the 
medium  shows  a  piece  of  perfectly  blank  paper  about 
an  inch  square.  She  —  sometimes  it's  a  he  —  then 
dips  the  bit  of  paper  into  a  saucer  of  what  seems 
to  be  ordinary,  common  every  day  water  and  with 
much  dignity  and  mysticism  presses  it  to  the  fore- 
head of  the  aforesaid  ninny  who  would  fain  know 
what  the  partner  of  his,  or  her  joys  and  sorrows  will 
look  like.  (What's  the  use  when  they  will  know  so 
well  afterward?) 

Be  that  as  it  may,  when  the  medium  removes  the  bit 
of  paper  from  the  simpleton's  forehead  a  photograph 
has  really  and  truly  appeared  on  it  and  —  there  you 
are!  (Fifty  cents,  please.) 

Now  the  trick  is  done  like  this  and  you  can  have 
some  fun  repeating  it.  Print  some  photos  postage- 
stamp  size  of  boys  and  girls  on  ordinary  silver  paper 
and  fix  them  in  hypo  dissolved  in  water  but  don't  tone 
them;  wash  them  well  and  then  soak  them  in  a 
saturated  solution51  of  bichloride  of  mercury  which 

61  A  saturated  solution  of  bichloride  of  mercury  is  one  in  which 
all  of  the  mercury  has  been  dissolved  in  the  water  that  it  will 
dissolve  at  its  present  temperature  and  pressure. 


154  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

will  bleach  out  the  picture  and  leave  the  paper  perfectly 
white  again;  this  done  dry  the  paper  and  put  it  away 
until  you  want  to  use  it. 

When  you  do,  make  a  strong  solution  of  hypo,  soak 
the  picture  in  it  for  a  minute  or  two,  press  it  to  your 
subject's  forehead  and  the  picture  will  appear. 

One  Way  to  Catch  Big  Fish. —  Of  course  you 
know  that  when  an  object  very  near  the  camera  is 
photographed  it  will  look  proportionately  larger  than 
when  it  is  photographed  a  little  way  off  from  it.  It 
is  simply  a  case  of  exaggerated  perspective. 

Hence  the  camera  is  an  apparatus  very  well  adapted 
for  camouflage  as  the  French  call  faking.  You  can 
easily  try  it  out  by  having  a  friend  lean  back  in  a 
chair  and  put  his  feet  on  the  table.  (If  the  table  is 
of  highly  polished  mahogany  request  him  kindly  to 
take  off  his  spurs  first. ) 

Stand  your  camera  in  front  of  him  so  that  his  feet 
will  be  nearest  the  lens  and  then  take  his  picture.  The 
result  is  that  he  will  be  about  all  boots  and  very  little 
head. 

Another  and  deeper  dyed  trick  is  to  photograph  a 
fellow  —  choose  one  who  is  noted  for  his  whaling 
yarns  —  with  a  fish  dangling  at  the  end  of  a  pole  and 
line  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  62.  This  will  make  the 
fish  loom  up  as  big  as  the  cod  in  a  Scott's  Emulsion 
ad.,  and  the  boy  will  be  the  size  of  the  lone  fisher- 
man as  shown  at  B.  It  will  be  some  time  before  the 
scales  will  drop  from  the  eyes  of  the  person  who  is 
sizing  up  the  picture. 


SOME  KINKS  IN  PHOTOGRAPHY     155 

You  want  to  use  a  small  stop  in  your  lens  when  you 
make  a  picture  of  this  kind  so  that  the  definition  will 
be  as  sharp  in  the  foreground  as  it  is  in  the  back- 
ground. 


FlG.  62.     ONE  WAY  TO  CATCH  A  COD 

A.  How  it  is  done. 

B.  How   it   looks   when   done. 

Taking  Caricature  Photographs. —  The  word 
caricature  (pronounced  care'-i-ca-ture)  means  a  por- 
trait in  which  some  part  of  it  is  distorted  so  that  it 
produces  a  comical  effect. 

Now  there  are  a  lot  of  ways  to  make  photographic 
caricatures  but  one  of  the  best  is  to  use  what  is  called 
a  special  foreground.  This  foreground  is  a  sheet  of 
cardboard  or  a  piece  of  muslin  stretched  on  a  frame 
about  lYz  feet  wide  and  2^2  feet  long. 

Draw  on  the  cardboard  or  muslin  any  kind  of  a 
funny  little  body  such  as  an  anemic  fellow  in  a  bath- 
ing suit,  or  a  lank  athlete  rowing  in  a  tub,  or  a  gilded 


i56 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


youth  riding  a  donkey;  and  finally  cut  out  a  place 
around  his  collar  for  the  neck  of  the  sitter.  Seat 
your  subject  and  have  him  hold  the  foreground  as 
shown  at  C  in  Fig.  62  so  that  his  head  comes  just 
above  the  collar  of  the  picture  and  then  take  a  photo- 
graph of  him. 


FlG.   62C.      HOW    CARICATURES    ARE    MADE 

If  now  the  background  —  that  is  the  ground  back 
of  the  sitter  —  and  the  foreground  —  namely  the  one 
painted  on  the  cardboard  —  are  of  the  same  shade 
you  can  trim  the  print  so  that  it  will  look  exactly  as 
if  your  friend  was  in  the  Orient  on  his  way  to  Mecca. 
(If  you  will  keep  this  picture  for  20  years  the  fellow 
who  sat  for  it  will  gladly  pay  you  a  hundred  dollars 
for  it.) 


CHAPTER  VII 
PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS 

IF  there  ever  was  a  boy  who  did  not  want  a  printing 
press  I  have  yet  to  meet  him.  Ever  since  the  day 
when  Gutenburg  °2  invented  movable  types,  and  that 
was  some  500  years  ago,  every  boy  —  and  not  a  few 
men  —  have  wanted  to  set  a  few  stickfuls  of  type  and 
run  off  some  impressions  on  a  press,  and  many  thou- 
sands of  them  have  gratified  that  highly  civilized  am- 
bition. 

But  you  fellows  of  to-day  have  all  the  best  of  it,  for 
you  can  buy  a  printing  outfit  complete  for  $1.50  on  up 
to  anything  you  want  to  pay  for  it.  After  all  is  said 
and  done  though,  you  can  get  more  real  enjoyment  out 
of  a  small  self-inking  press  than  you  can  out  of  a 
larger  one.  Not  only  is  there  a  lot  of  fun  in  print- 
ing cards,  etc.,  for  yourself  but  there  is  money  in  it 
too,  if  you  go  about  it  the  right  way,  but  that  is 
another  story.63 

Kinds  of  Printing  Presses. —  There  are  two  kinds 

82  Johanne    Gutenburg   was   a   German   printer.    He   invented 
movable  types  about  the  year  of  1450. 

63  To  make  money  out  of  job-printing  on  a  small  scale  read 
Money  Making  for  Boys  by  the  present  author  and  published 
by  Dodd,  Mead  and  Co.,  New  York  City. 
157 


158  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

of  printing  presses  made  and  these  are  ( i )  hand  inked 
presses,  and  (2)  self -inking  presses. 

You  can  make  a  printing  press  out  of  wood  but  to 
do  a  good  job  you  must  have  a  press  built  of  iron  and 
properly  machined,  that  is  finished  up,  for  to  do  good 
printing  a  good  outfit  is  needed  to  begin  with. 

Small  hand  inked  and  self-inking  presses  are  sold 
in  the  toy  departments  of  nearly  all  stores  at  prices 
ranging  from  $1.50  to  $5.00  and  this  will  include  a 
font  of  type.  Many  of  these  little  presses  are  made 
which  use  type  about  half  the  length  of  regular  type 
and  if  you  get  a  press  of  this  kind  you  will  never  know 
the  real  joy  of  printing. 

The  Parts  of  a  Self-Inking  Press.—  The  Excelsior 
is  the  name  of  a  small  self-inking  printing  press  that 
has  been  on  the  market  for  50  years  and  it  is  a  good 
one.  The  description  of  it  which  follows  will  fit  any 
other  model  self-inking  press  just  as  well,  for  they 
are  all  built  on  the  same  principle. 

There  are  seven  chief  parts  to  this  press  and  these 
are  (i)  the  body;  (2)  the  type  bed;  (3)  the  platen; 
(4)  the  ink-roller  carriage;  (5)  the  ink  table;  (6)  the 
chase,  and  (7)  the  handle,  all  of  which  are  shown  in 
Fig.  63. 

The  body  of  the  press  serves  to  support  all  the 
other  parts.  The  bed,  as  you  will  see,  is  really  a  part 
of  the  body  casting  and  the  feet  of  the  type  rest  against 
it.  For  this  reason  it  must  be  perfectly  smooth  and 
even,  and  it  is  planed  off,  that  is  machined,  to  make 
it  so. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     159 

The  platen  is  pivoted  to  the  middle  of  the  body  and 
it  swings  up  to  and  parallel  with  the  bed  and  away 
from  and  out  at  an  angle  to  it.  The  card,  or  sheet 
of  paper  to  be  printed  is  laid  on  the  platen  and  is 
brought  up  and  into  contact  with  the  type  which  rests 
on  the  bed.  A  pair  of  grippers  are  hinged  to  the 
platen  to  hold  the  paper  in  place  while  it  is  being 
printed  but  releases  it  when  the  platen  moves  back. 

K  TABLE 
tS£ 

&ED  DRIPPERS 


HANDLE 
PflPERB/WD 

KS ^TTN!E^^MIM 

_^-^H      zmVk 

PLATEN 

**»*>'  '    BODY 

FlG.   63.      A   MODEL   SELF-INKING   PRINTING   PRESS 

The  ink-roller  carriage  is  connected  by  levers  to  the 
platen  and  when  the  latter  moves  to  and  fro  the 
rollers  run  over  the  type  to  ink  it;  the  rollers 
get  their  ink  from  the  ink  table  and  this  is  a 
disk  which  revolves  and  on  which  the  ink  is  spread; 
the  ink  table  is  made  to  revolve  a  little  at  a  time  so 
that  the  rollers  will  pass  over  every  part  of  it  in  every 
direction  and  so  distribute  the  ink  evenly. 

The  type  when  set  is  locked  in  an  iron  frame  called 


160  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

a  chase  and  this  fits  on  the  bed;  and  finally  all  the 
movable  parts  are  coupled  to  the  handle  and  when  this 
is  moved  up  and  down  it  makes  them  perform  their 
various  functions. 

How  the  Press  Works. —  Let's  suppose  now,  that 
you  have  the  type  set  in  the  chase  and  the  chase  is 
fixed  in  the  press;  that  you  have  put  some  ink  on  the 
ink-table  and  a  card  or  a  sheet  of  paper  on  the  platen. 

Now  when  you  press  down  on  the  handle  it  moves 
the  platen  up,  the  grippers  hold  the  card,  or  sheet  of 
paper  to  it,  the  arms  pivoted  to  the  platen  pull  the 
ink  rollers  up  and  over  the  type  and  on  to  the  ink 
table  which  turns  through  a  small  arc,  that  is,  part  of 
a  circle,  by  a  ratchet  so  that  it  keeps  a  fresh  surface 
exposed  to  the  ink  rollers  all  the  time. 

When  the  card,  or  paper  makes  contact  with  the 
type  you  pull  the  handle  up;  this  swings  the  platen 
back;  the  grippers  relax  their  pressure;  the  ink-rollers 
move  down  over  the  face  of  the  type;  you  take  out 
the  printed  card  or  sheet  with  your  left  hand  and  put 
in  a  blank  one  with  your  right  hand,  when  you  are 
ready  to  make  another  impression. 

It  may  surprise  you  to  know  that  any  one  can  print 
from  500  to  600  cards  an  hour  and  if  you  are  expert 
you  can  run  off  from  1,000  to  2,000  cards  per  hour. 

Sizes  and  Prices  of  Presses. —  The  Excelsior  press 
comes  in  three  sizes  and  the  price  depends  on  the  size 
of  the  chase.  ( i )  A  press  having  a  chase  3x5  inches 
costs  $5.00  and  this  is  large  enough  to  print  cards, 
labels,  envelopes,  etc.;  (2)  a  5x8  press  costs  $18.00 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     161 

and  this  one  will  do  nice  jobs  up  to  postal  card  size; 
and  (3)  a  6xio  press  costs  $25.00  and  is  large 
enough  to  print  bill-heads,  letter-heads  and  circulars, 
or  you  can  print  a  little  newspaper  on  it. 

The  Outfit  You  Need. —  Your  outfit  will,  of 
course,  depend  largely  on  the  size  of  press  you  have. 

Outfit  for  a  ^  x  5  Press. —  A  couple  of  dollars  will 
buy  all  the  fixtures  you  need  and  these  consist  of  (a) 
a  font  of  type,  (b)  some  leads,  (c)  a  type  case,  (d) 
an  assortment  of  furniture,  and  (e)  a  can  of  black 
ink. 

A  font  of  type  means  enough  of  a  kind  having  the 
same  face  and  body  and  the  right  amount  of  each 
letter  to  set  up  an  ordinary  job.  You  will  find  more 
about  type  under  the  next  heading  called  Type  and 
Typesetting.  Leads  are  thin  strips  of  type  metal  less 
than  type-high  which  are  used  to  separate  the  lines  of 
type;  and  a  type  case  is  a  shallow  wooden  tray  di- 
vided into  little  compartments  called  boxes  in  which 
the  letters  of  a  font  of  type  are  kept  apart. 

Outfit  for  a  5  x  8  Press. —  The  fixtures  of  a  press  of 
this  size  include  all  of  those  named  above  and  (a) 
three  fonts  of  type,  (b)  type  cases  for  them;  (c) 
a  set  of  gage  pins,  and  (d)  a  pair  of  tweezers,  or  a 
bodkin.  The  gage-pins  are  pinned  into  the  paper  back- 
ing on  the  platen  to  keep  the  card  or  sheet  from  slip- 
ping and  to  hold  it  in  its  proper  place.  The  tweezers, 
or  bobkin,  which  is  a  large  needle,  is  used  for  picking 
out  type  from  a  form  when  you  are  correcting  it. 

Outfit  for  an  8  x  10  Press. —  This  outfit  should  have 


162  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

all  the  fixtures  of  both  of  those  described  above  and 
you  will  need  not  less  than  four  fonts  of  type,  while  a 
composing  stick,  which  is  a  little  metal  tray  to  hold  the 
type  in  as  you  set  it,  is  a  necessity.  These  fixtures  are 
shown  in  Fig.  64. 


PffPERGUAGE 


D-/f  BOUGHT^  fl- WOOD  FURNITURE       B-  /) '  LE/fP 
GU/)GEPIH\  ( 


r-  REGULAR  PRINTERS 
o/«£>rA/-r   I  TWEEZERS  W/TH 

In Sa  COARSE  SERRATED 

FOR/}        \  FLAT  PO/NTS - 

GUAGEPIN  /?  COMPOSING  STICK 

FlG.  64.      AN   OUTFIT  FOR  A   MODEL   PRESS 

About  Type  and  Setting  Type. —  Relative  Num- 
ber of  Type  Letters. —  In  looking  over  type  catalogues 
you  will  see  that  the  fonts  are  listed  as  4A,  or  8A-ioA, 
etc.  Now  this  means  that  in  the  4A  font  there  are 
4  capital  A  letters  and  that  all  of  the  other  letters  are 
in  proportion  to  the  A's  that  are  likely  to  be  used, 
thus: 

A  4  A   FONT 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

No.  of  letters  42335223422334432444222    222 
to  font 

With  an  8A-ioa  font  there  are  of  course  twice  as 
many  of  each  capital  letter  as  in  a  4 A  font  while  of 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     163 

the  lower  case  letters,  which  means  the  small  ones, 
there  are  10  a's  and  the  number  of  the  others  are  in 
proportion  to  their  use,  thus  : 

AN  8  A—  lOa  FONT 
abcde  fghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 

No.  of  letters  10  4  6  8  18  4  4    8  102  3  8   6  10  10  6   3101010  6  4   4    2   42 
to  font 

Styles  of  Type.  —  For  card  work  you  want  a  plain 
block  letter  font  like  that  shown  at  A,  a  script  like  B, 
or  an  old  English  like  that  shown  at  C. 

For  envelopes,  bill,  letter  head  and  other  job  work 
three  fonts  of  engraved  plate  style  as  shown  at  D,  E 
and  F  will  give  good  results. 

23A  *1.00 

A    THEODORE    ROOSEVELT  1234567890 

8A        24a  frt.50 


"tevtet  123456789 

11A        34a  $2.50 

c   *£<**(.  $0!m  $»&&*r  #hmrt  123456789 


22A 

D     ENORA.VED   CARD   STYLE   IS    PREFERRED 


16A  $1.05 

E    HANDSOME  EUSTGRA-VEID  EFFECTS  123 

A16  *1.25 

F  ENGRAVED  PLATE  STYLE   14O 

For  circulars  you  should  have  several  fonts  of  dif- 
ferent styles  of  type  as  shown  at  G,  H,  I,  J  and  K. 


164  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

ISA        36a  $2.90 

G  CLEAR  CUT  Faces  Popular        123 

ISA  $1.95 

H  EXCELSIOR  PRESSES  12345 

•  A  $2.10 

'  GJ-R  AINO          1 

10A       15a  $5.35 

'  GOOD  for  many  places  3 


Good  and  Clear  for  poster  and 

K  circular  printing.  A  fine  addition 

to  any  printing  office.    12345678 

And  finally  should  you  intend  to  print  a  cook-book, 
a  town  directory  or  a  newspaper  you  will  need  a  half, 
or  a  full  font  of  12  point  plain  pica  Roman,  as  it  is 
called,  and  which  is  shown  at  L. 

12  Point  No.  1, 25  Ibs.  $12.00.  (Half  font,  12  #  Ibs. ,  $6.50) 

PLAIN  Pica  Roman,  a  FACE  for  many 
uses.  Books,  circulars  and  jobbing. 
Very  clear  and  easy  to  read.  Cast 
from  nickel  metal  and  most  durable 
known.  £  $  L  z  1234567890 

The  Parts  of  a  Type. —  Before  explaining  how  to 
set  type,  make  ready  and  print,  there  are  a  few  little 
things  about  letters  and  about  type  which  are  good  to 
know. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     165 

First  let's  take,  by  way  of  illustration,  the  letter 
H  H.  Now  you  will  observe  that  the  first  H  is  plain 
and  the  second  one  is  embellished  by  fine  lines  at  the 
top  and  bottom  and  these  embellishments  are  called 
ser'-ifs. 

As  simple  a  bit  of  metal  as  a  type  has  more  parts 
to  it  than  you  can  shake  a  stick  at,  but  you  ought  to 
learn  them  by  heart.  Named,  these  parts  are  (a)  the 
body  of  the  type;  (b)  the  front;  (c)  the  back;  (d) 

THEFflCE 

•  BEVEL  OR  BEflRD 
THE  SHOULDER 
•THE  PIN  MflRK 

r  BELLY  ORFRONT 


ORSHWK    (      ^^ 

^  THEMCKS 


•f£  GROOVE 

FlG.  65.      THE  PARTS  OF  A  TYPE 

the  face  or  letter;  (e)  the  nicks;  (f)  the  feet;  (g)  the 
groove;  (h)  the  shoulder;  (i)  the  bevel,  and  (k)  the 
pin  marks,  and  all  of  these  are  pointed  out  in  Fig.  65. 
It  very  often  happens  in  italics  and  script  type  that 
a  part  of  a  letter  will  stand  out  beyond  the  body  and 
this  little  extension  is  called  the  kern.  The  nick  in 
the  type  is  to  help  the  type-setter,  or  compositor  as  he 
is  called,  to  set  the  type  the  right  way  in  the  stick,  that 
is  you  always  set  the  type  with  the  nicks  down  and 
toward  you. 


166  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

The  pin-mark  is  made  by  a  sharp  instrument  which 
removes  it  from  the  mold.  Finally  a  c  e  m  n  o  r 
s  u  v  w  x  z  are  called  short  letters;  j  is  a  long 
letter  in  that  it  takes  up  the  full  breadth  of  the  face; 
b  d  f  h  i  1  t  are  upstroke,  or  ascending  letters,  while 
g  p  q  are  downstroke  or  descending  letters. 

The  Sizes  of  Type. —  Type  is  made  in  standard 
sizes  and  not  so  very  long  ago  each  size  was  known 
by  a  name.  Then  a  change  was  made  and  the  point 
system™  as  it  is  called,  came  into  general  use.  The 
sizes  under  the  old  and  the  new  systems  are  given 
in  the  following  table  and  it  will  enable  you  to  know 
type  sizes  both  by  name  and  by  point. 

TABLE  OF  TYPE  SIZES 

OLD  NAMES  OF  SIZES  NEW  POINT  SIZES 

Pearl 5  point 

Agate 5H     " 

Nonpareil 6 

Minion 7 

Brevier 8  " 

Bourgeois 9  " 

Long  Primer 10  " 

Small  Pica 11  " 

Pica 12  " 

English 14  " 

Great  Primer 18" 

63  This  is  the  standard  system  of  sizes  for  type  bodies.  It  is  so 
called  because  it  is  measured  in  decimal  points  or  fractions  of  an 
inch ;  that  is,  I  point  is  .0138  inch,  so  that  nonpareil,  as  it  used  to 
be  called,  is  now  6  point  and  burgeois  is  9  point,  etc. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     167 

Your  Type  Cases. —  There  are  two  kinds  of  type 
cases  and  these  are  made  to  hold  (i)  the  capital,  or 
upper  case  letters,  and  (2)  the  small  or  lower  case 
letters. 

The  reason  the  capitals  are  called  upper  case  letters 
is  because  the  case  that  holds  them  is  set  higher  on 
the  composing  stand  than  the  case  which  holds  the 
small  letters;  this  brings  the  small  letters  nearer  to 


UPPER  C/?S£ 
LOWER  C/fSE 
'P£  CAB/NET 

A 

FlG.  66A.      HOW  THE  TYPE  CASES  ARE  ARRANGED 

the  hand  of  the  compositor  and  as  they  are  used  more 
than  the  caps  he  can  set  the  type  faster.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  cases  is  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  66. 

There  are  several  schemes  of  type-cases  but  I  shall 
only  describe  three  of  them.  The  first  is  a  small  type 
case  i2l/2  inches  square  with  48  boxes  in  it  and  you 
can  buy  one  for  35  cents.  It  is  good  enough  for  any 
one  who  doesn't  want  to  go  to  the  bother  of  learn- 
ing the  regular  case.  A  plan  view  of  the  lay  of  a 


i68 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


regular  upper  and  a  lower  case  is  shown  at  B  and  C. 
You  will  see  that  the  e  box  in  the  lower  case  is  larger 
than  any  other  and  this  is  because  there  are  more  e's 


,     KI_    M»     QHt     KLMN0 


B 


FlG.  66B.      THE  UPPER  CASE 


used  in  setting  up  a  job  than  any  other  one  letter. 
And  you  will  also  observe  that  the  letters  are  dis- 


FlG.  66C.      THE  LOWER  CASE 


tributed  and  the  boxes  spaced  in  a  very  uneven  way, 
but  this  arrangement  brings  the  letters  that  are  used 
the  most  into  the  easiest  places  to  reach. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     169 

Setting  the  Type. —  Where  you  have  more  than  one 
line  to  set  you  should  by  all  means  use  a  composing 
stick  and  a  small  one  will  cost  you  a  dollar.  It  should 
be  held  in  the  left  hand  as  shown  in  Fig.  67,  that  is, 
with  the  open  side  from  you  and  the  slide  to  the  left. 

Now  read  a  few  lines  of  your  copy,  pick  the  first  let- 
ter from  its  box  and  set  it  in  the  left  hand  corner  of 
the  stick  with  the  nick  in  the  type  toward  your  thumb. 
Take  the  next  letter  from  its  box  and  let  it  slide  into 


FlG.   67.      HOW   TO    HOLD   A   COMPOSING    STICK 

the  composing  stick  against  the  first  letter  and  so  on 
from  left  to  right  until  you  have  the  first  word  set  up. 
Now  put  in  a  medium  sized  space,  which  is  made, 
just  like  a  type  but  only  shoulder  high  and  without  any 
letter  on  it,  and  begin  to  set  the  next  word.  If  when 
you  get  to  the  end  of  the  line  there  is  a  space  left 
but  not  enough  to  start  another  word,  put  a  thin  space 
between  the  words  to  lengthen  out  the  line,  or  justify 
it  as  it  is  called. 


170  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

When  you  have  set  the  line  put  a  lead,  that  is  a 
thin  strip  of  typemetal  which  comes  to  the  shoulder 
of  the  type,  against  it  and  start  a  new  line  and  so  on 
until  you  have  the  stick  half  full  of  type. 

The  type  must  now  be  taken  out  of  the  stick  and 
placed  on  a  smooth  surface,  such  as  a  piece  of  slate  or 


FlG.  68.      PUTTING  A  STICK  OF  TYPE  IN   THE  CHASE 

a  stone  called  an  imposing  stone,  and  to  do  this  without 
dropping  some  or  all  of  the  type  and  making  pi  of  it, 
takes  practice.  To  do  it  like  a  journeyman,  put  a  lead 
at  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  type,  set  the  stick  on  the 
stone,  grip  the  top  and  bottom  with  your  fore  fingers 
and  thumbs  and  the  sides  with  your  other  fingers,  hold 
it  tight  and  you  can  then  easily  lift  it  out  and  into  the 
chase  as  shown  in  Fig.  68. 

A  good  way  for  you  to  do  it  at  first  is  to  wet  the 
type  after  you  have  it  set  in  the  composing  stick  when 
it  will  hold  together  without  much  trouble.  When 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     171 

you  can  manage  half-a-stick  full  of  type  you  can  then 
try  a  stick  full. 

Making  Ready. —  After  you  have  the  type,  which 
is  to  make  up  the  form,  set  in  the  chase  on  the  impos- 
ing stone,  or  table,  fill  in  the  top  and  bottom  spaces 
with  long  pieces  of  wood  furniture  and  the  ends  with 
hollow  metal  furniture  and  then  lock  up  the  form, 
that  is  screw  or  otherwise  fix  it  in  the  chase. 

Now  there  are  two  kinds  of  chases  used  with  small 
presses  and  these  are  (i)  screw  chases  and  (2)  plain 
chases.  A  screw  chase  has  a  couple  of  screws  fitted 
into  the  top  of  it  so  that  after  the  type  and  furniture 
are  in  the  chase  you  only  need  to  tighten  up  the  screws 
to  hold  the  form  in  place. 


^SHOOTING 

STICK 


SIMPLY  WEPGZS 

FlG.  69.      TOOLS  FOR  LOCKING  UP  A  CHASE 

When  a  plain  chase  is  used,  quoins,  that  is  wedges 
made  of  wood,  as  shown  in  Fig.  69  —  you  can  get  a 
dozen  hickory  ones  for  a  nickel  —  must  be  set  in  be- 
tween the  furniture  and  the  chase  and  these  are  forced 
together  with  a  mallet  and  a  shooting  stick,  so  that 
the  type  is  held  firmly  in  place. 


172  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

The  next  thing  to  do  is  to  plane  the  form,  that  is, 
you  take  a  block  of  wood  one  side  of  which  is  cov- 
ered with  a  piece  of  felt.  Lay  this  on  the  type  and 
tap  it  gently  with  the  mallet  to  get  all  of  the  type 
even  on  top.  You  can  make  a  planer  or  buy  one  for  a 
quarter  ready  made. 

This  done,  fit  the  chase  in  the  press  and  put  three 
or  four  sheets  of  paper  on  the  platen  by  means  of  the 
pivoted  bands  on  the  edge  of  the  latter.  Ink  the  type 
and  run  off  a  few  impressions;  but  be  careful  that  the 
grippers  are  set  so  that  they  will  just  catch  the  edges 
of  the  sheet  but  will  not  strike  the  type  form. 

If  part  of  the  impression  does  not  come  out  plain, 
paste  a  piece  of  paper  on  the  paper  backing  on  the 
platen  and,  oppositely,  if  a  part  of  the  impression  is 
too  heavy  a  bit  of  the  under  sheet  of  paper  backing 
must  be  cut  away. 

When  the  impression  is  even  on  the  platen  sheet 
paste  a  piece  of  cardboard  below  and  another  to  the 
left  hand  side  of  it  so  that  the  card  or  the  sheet  of 
paper  will  lay  on  the  platen  in  exactly  the  right  place 
every  time  you  feed  it  in. 

Instead  of  cardboard  you  can  use  three  bent  pins  to 
gage  the  sheet,  or,  still  better,  use  regular  steel  gage 
pins  (see  Fig.  64),  for  these  can  be  adjusted  to  a 
nicety. 

Printing  the  Job. —  All  that  remains  for  you  to  do 
now  is  to  put  about  as  much  ink  as  you  can  get  on  the 
point  of  the  blade  of  a  penknife  on  the  ink  table  and 
then  roll  it  out  thin  and  even  with  a  small  hand  roller. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     173 

Lay  your  stock  on  the  table  to  the  right  of  the 
press  and  feed  in  a  card  or  a  sheet  at  a  time  with  your 
right  hand  and  see  to  it  that  you  get  it  in  squarely 
against  the  gage  pins;  take  away  your  hand  and 
press  the  handle  down  with  your  left  hand;  raise  it 
up,  take  the  printed  sheet  out  with  your  left  hand,  feed 
in  another  one  and  so  on  until  the  job  is  done. 

How  to  Clean  Type. —  As  soon  as  you  have 
printed  a  job  take  the  chase  from  the  press  and  before 
you  unlock  the  form  rub  the  face  of  the  type  with  a 
rag  dipped  in  benzine,  or  turpentine  and  when  all  the 
ink  and  smut  is  gone  wipe  it  with  a  clean  rag. 

If  the  type  gets  clogged  up  with  ink  wash  it  out 
with  a  tooth-brush  dipped  in  benzine  and  when  the 
ink  on  the  table  and  the  rollers  gets  dirty  or  does  not 
work  well  wash  it  off  with  benzine  also.  To  do  good 
printing  everything  must  be  immaculately  clean. 

About  Distributing  Type. —  After  you  have 
cleaned  the  type,  unlock  the  form  and  then  take  a  line 
o'  type  at  a  time  on  a  lead  in  your  left  hand;  pick  off 
two  or  three  letters  at  once  and  drop  each  one  into  its 
respective  box. 

The  Ink  and  Rollers.—  The  Ink.—  While  01 
course  you  will  buy  your  ink  all  ready  to  use  you 
may  like  to  know  how  it  is  made.  Here's  a  recipe 
for  a  printing  ink  that  is  as  old  as  the  hills  and  as 
good  as  gold:  Balsam  of  capivi  4%  ounces;  lamp- 
black I1/*  ounces;  indigo  %  ounce;  India  red  %  ounce, 
and  turpentine  dry  soap  i%  ounces;  mix  these  in- 
gredients well  in  a  mortar  with  a  pestle;  then  mix  the 


174  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

mass  with  boiled  linseed  oil  to  the  right  thickness. 

When  buying  ink  for  job  printing  get  one  that  is 
a  quick  drier  and  this  costs  from  50  cents  to  $1.50  a 
pound  according  to  quality.  You  can  also  buy  colored 
inks  in  red,  white,  blue,  yellow,  green,  brown  and 
purple  in  4  ounce  cans  for  60  cents  a  can. 

The  Rollers. —  While  it  is  cheaper  and  better  to  buy 
ink  rollers  ready  made,  if  you  want  to  try  your  hand 
at  making  them  yourself  get  i  pound  Peter  Cooper's 
best  glue;  i  quart  best  sugar  house  syrup,  and  i  pint 
of  glycerine. 

Soak  the  glue  in  rain  water  until  it  is  soft,  drain  off 
all  the  excess  water,  put  it  in  a  glue  pot  and  set  it  on 
a  slow  fire  until  it  is  melted.  Now  put  in  the  syrup, 
boil  it  for  half  an  hour,  stirring  it  the  while,  and  skim 
off  the  scum  that  comes  to  the  top. 

About  5  minutes  before  you  take  it  from  the  fire  add 
the  other  things  and  then  pour  the  mixture  into  the 
mold,  which  is  simply  a  brass  cylinder  of  the  diameter 
and  length  you  want  the  roller.  The  stock,  as  the 
spindle  of  the  roller  is  called,  is  set  exactly  in  the 
middle  of  the  mold  and  the  composition  is  poured 
into  it. 

Printing  in  Colors. —  Printing  in  two  or  more 
colors,  or  color  printing,  is  not  only  interesting  work 
to  do,  but  profitable,  since  you  can  easily  get  orders 
for  it.  It  is  a  little  harder  to  do  a  good  job  with 
colored  inks  than  it  is  with  black  ink,  but  if  you  will 
use  plain  type  and  good  colored  ink  you  will  have 
small  trouble  in  doing  a  creditable  job. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     175 

Printing  in  Gold. —  When  you  want  to  print  in 
gilt  instead  of  in  black  you  can  do  it  either  by  printing 
in  black  ink  first  and  then  dusting  bronze  powder  over 
it  with  a  tuft  of  cotton,  or  print  the  job  with  gold  size 
which  makes  the  powder  stick  better.  Dust  the  ex- 
cess powder  off  with  a  bit  of  cotton  when  the  letters 
will  stand  out  in  gold  beautifully. 

You  can  buy  a  3  ounce  can  of  gold  size  for  a  quarter 
and  bronze  powder  can  be  had  in  i  ounce  cans  in  gold, 
silver,  cardinal  red  and  copper.  All  of  the  above 
materials  can  be  bought  of  the  Kelsey  Press  Company, 
Meriden,  Conn.,  and  you  ought  to  send  for  one  of 
their  catalogues. 

And  Finally  Your  Stock  Supply. —  You  will  need 
a  supply  of  both  visiting  and  business  cards;  paper  for 
labels,  handbills  and  newspapers  —  that  is,  if  you  in- 
tend to  print  one  —  and  paper  for  bill-heads,  state- 
ments, letter-heads  and  envelopes  to  match  them. 

Cards  come  in  all  sizes  and  colors  and  in  any 
quantity  however  small;  they  are  sold  under  the 
name  of  thin  white,  thin  colored,  heavy  china, 
business  bristol,  fine  bristol,  extra  fine  bristol,  satin 
enameled  and  linen  finished  bristol.  Then  there  are 
cards  with  gold  beveled  and  lace  edges;  fancy  em- 
bossed, with  round  edges,  and  for  mourning. 

Paper  can  be  bought  that  is  gummed  on  one  side 
for  labels;  linen  and  bond  papers  are  used  for  cor- 
respondence; the  cheapest  kind  of  white  and  colored 
paper  is  good  enough  for  handbills  but  you  should  use 
a  good  white  stock  for  newspaper  work.  Before  or- 


176  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

dering  stock  of  any  kind  the  best  way  to  do  is  to  send 
for  a  full  set  of  samples  and  then  you  will  know  just 
what  you  are  buying. 

The  Art  of  Paper  Making 

Of  course  you  know  what  paper  looks  like  and  how 
it  feels,  but  it  is  not  so  likely  that  you  know  what  it  is 
and  how  it  is  made;  but  paper  making  is  an  art  so 
old,  so  wonderful  and  so  useful,  that  you  ought  to 
make  enough  to  know  all  about  it. 

What  Paper  Is. —  Paper  is  made  by  chemical  and 
mechanical  processes  from  rags,  straw  or  wood  into 
thin  sheets.  These  materials  are  formed  of  fibers 
made  up  of  what  chemists  call  cellulose64  and  this 
substance  is  in  turn  composed  of  C6Hj0O5,  that  is  6 
atoms  of  carbon,  10  atoms  of  hydrogen  and  5  atoms 
of  oxygen. 

How  to  Make  Paper. —  Whatever  material  you 
use  to  make  the  paper  of  it  must  be  converted  into 
a  pulp  first.  Cotton  or  linen  makes  the  best  paper  — 
this  is  called  rag  paper  —  because  these  materials  are 
nearly  pure  cellulose  to  begin  with. 

Making  the  Pulp. —  To  make  a  little  paper  take 
about  a  pound  of  white  cotton  or  linen  rags  and  cut 
them  up  into  little  bits;  boil  them  in  a  solution  of 
caustic  soda  for  a  couple  of  hours,  to  get  out  all  the 
dirt  and  grease,  and  stir  them  often. 

64  Cellulose  forms  the  ground-work  of  all  vegetable  tissues 
whether  they  are  the  tender  shoots  of  a  fern  or  the  hard  wood  of 
trees. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     177 


Next  wash  out  the  dirty  water  that  has  resulted 
from  boiling  them  and  then  the  cotton  or  linen  must 
be  broken  up  and  beaten  until  the  fibers  are  separated. 
You  can  do  this  by  putting  the  fabrics  into  a  chopping 
bowl,  wetting  it  down  with  clean  water  and  then  using 
a  pair  of  chopping  knives  on  them  until  the  fibers  are 
cut  fine,  and  you  must  change  the  water  often.  In 
paper  mills  a  rag  engine,  as  it  is  called,  is  used  to  wash 
and  break  up  the  rags. 


FlG.    70.      A    FRAME    FOR    PAPER    MAKING 

The  Molds  You  Need. —  Make  half-a-dozen  frames 
of  wood  %  inch  thick  and  %  an  inch  wide,  and  about 
5x8  inches  on  the  sides ;  and  cover  these  with  brass 
wire  netting  having  about  20  wires  to  the  inch  as 
shown  in  Fig.  70.  School  slate  frames  are  good  for 
this  purpose. 

Laying  the  Paper. —  Now  spread  a  thin  layer  of 
pulp  on  the  wire  netting  of  each  frame,  or  mold,  and 


178  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

set  them  to  one  side  to  dry.  When  you  have  all  the 
molds  filled  and  the  pulp  is  dry  turn  each  frame  up- 
side down  on  a  sheet  of  blotting  paper  and  lay  another 
sheet  of  blotting  paper  over  the  paper  you  are  making. 

In  this  way  pile  up  the  blotting  paper  and  the  paper 
in  the  making  and  then  put  them  under  pressure ;  this 
you  can  do  by  placing  the  pile  between  two  smooth 
i  inch  thick  boards  and  screwing  them  together  with 
a  couple  of  wood  clamps.65  After  an  hour  or  so  you 
can  take  the  clamps  from  the  pile  and  separate  the 
sheets  of  paper  from  the  blotting  paper. 

Next  place  the  paper  between  sheets  of  oil 
board,®6  make  a  pile  of  them  and  screw  them  up  be- 
tween the  wood  clamps  again  good  and  tight  and  leave 
them  there  over  night;  then  hang  up  each  sheet  of 
paper  by  a  corner  with  a  clip  and  let  it  dry. 

Sizing  and  Finishing. —  When  the  sheets  are  dry 
take  them  down  and  lay  them  carefully  in  a  pile  for 
sizing.  Make  the  sizing  by  dissolving  gelatine  in  hot 
water  until  it  is  about  as  thick  as  milk  with  the  cream 
in  it. 

Pour  the  sizing  into  a  shallow  dish  or,  better,  a 
photographic  tray;  lay  each  sheet,  first  one  side  and 
then  the  other,  on  the  sizing  and  be  careful  to  wet  it 
evenly  all  over.  Put  the  sized  paper  between  the 
sheets  of  oil  board  again,  make  a  pile  of  them,  screw 
on  the  wood  clamps,  let  them  stay  under  pressure 

65  A  description  of  these  clamps  will  be  found  in  Chapter  I. 

68  This  is  a  heavy  oiled  paper  and  you  can  buy  it  at  a  painter's 
supply  store,  or  of  C.  B.  Hewitt  and  Bros.,  48  Beekman  St., 
New  York  City. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     179 

for  half  a  day  and,  finally  when  you  take  them  out 
let  them  dry  slowly  and  you  will  have  a  hand  made 
paper  that  you  have  made  with  your  own  hands. 

How  to  Bind  Books 

If  you  will  look  at  this  book  carefully  you  will  con- 
clude that  it  would  be  next  to  impossible  to  bind  one 
that  would  even  faintly  resemble  it.  But  while  I  do 
not  want  you  to  believe  that  you  can  do  a  job  that 
would  anywhere  nearly  equal  it,  you  can  bind  a  book 
good  enough  so  that  you  will  not  feel  ashamed  to  let 
any  one  see  it. 

CLOTH 


B  WIDTH  OF  BOOH 

BOARDS  GLUED 
TO  CLOTH 

FlG.  71.     HOW  TO  CUT  BOARDS  AND  CLOTH  FOR  BOOK  BINDING 

Making  the  Cover. —  First  mark  out  with  a  rule 
and  then  cut  out  two  pieces  of  pasteboard  each  of 
which  is  just  as  wide  as  the  book  you  are  going  to  bind 
and  %  inch  longer  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  71. 

Lay  these  boards  on  a  piece  of  muslin  or  calico,  or 
you  can  buy  regular  book-binder's  cloth  for  the  pur- 
pose67 and  cut  it  2  inches  wider  than  the  length  of 

87  For  book  binders'  materials  of  all  kinds  send  to  Thomas 
Garner  and  Co.,  181  William  Street,  New  York.  For  book  bind- 


i8o 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


the  boards  and  three  times  as  long  as  the  width  of  one 
of  them  as  shown  at  B. 

Coat  these  boards  on  one  side  with  a  good  glue  laid 
on  thin  and  glue  them  to  the  cloth  so  that  they  will  be 
separated  from  each  other  by  a  space  %  an  inch  wider 
than  the  thickness  of  the  book  you  are  binding  as 
shown  at  B  and  C;  this  done  glue  the  edges  of  the 
cloth  over  on  to  the  other  sides  of  the  boards  as 
shown  at  D  in  Fig.  72. 


CLOTH  FOLDED 

OVER 


FlG.    72.      SEWING   ON    THE    MUSLIN   FLAP 

While  the  back  is  drying  take  a  piece  of  good  muslin 
and  cut  it  1 1/2  inches  shorter  than  the  length  of  the  book 
and  within  2  inches  as  wide  as  the  width  of  the  back 
of  the  book  when  it  is  flat  open.  For  instance  suppose 
the  book  is  5  inches  wide  and  i  inch  thick  which  is 
II  inches  in  all;  then  you  would  cut  the  muslin  9 
inches  long.  The  muslin  on  the  book  is  shown  at  E. 

Sewing  the  Book. —  The  next  operation  is  to  sew 

ers'  leather  materials  address  Du  Pont  Febrikoid  Co.,  Equitable 
Bldg.,  New  York. 


PRINTING  AND  ITS  ALLIED  ARTS     181 


this  piece  to  the  back  of  the  book;  for  this  work  you 
will  need  a  thin  sharp  awl,  a  hammer,  a  large  darning 
needle  and  some  strong  linen  thread  —  waxed  thread 
is  the  best. 

Before  doing  so,  however,  take  a  sheet  of  good 
white  paper  and  make  a  couple  of  fly-leaves  for  the 
front  and  back  of  the  book;  now  punch  a  line  of 
holes  Ys  inch  from  the  back,  through  the  book  as  shown 


FlG.  73.     THE  BOUND  BOOK  COMPLETE 

at  F,  then  put  on  the  piece  of  muslin  and  sew  it  to 
the  book  good  and  tight,  and  be  sure  the  flaps  are 
even. 

This  done  spread  some  glue  on  the  pasteboard  cov- 
ers, place  the  back  of  the  book  on  the  cloth  binding 
between  the  covers,  turn  it  over  on  the  front  cover 
and  rub  the  muslin  down  smooth  on  it;  then  do  the 
same  thing  with  the  back.  All  that  remains  for  you 
to  do  now  is  to  turn  back  one  of  the  blank  pages  which 


182  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

you  sewed  on  to  the  book  and  glue  it  on  the  cover 
which  will  conceal  the  muslin  flap. 

After  you  have  bound  the  book  lay  it  between  a 
couple  of  smooth  boards  and  screw  it  up  tight  between 
the  jaws  of  a  pair  of  wood  clamps.  Let  it  stay  there 
over  night  and  in  the  morning  when  you  take  the 
wood  clamps  off  you  will  have  one  more  book  to  add 
to  your  five  foot  shelf. 

Putting  on  the  Title. —  If  you  have  a  printing  press 
you  can  print  the  title  of  the  book  and  the  author's 
name  —  don't  forget  the  author's  name  —  on  a  slip 
of  heavy  paper  and  gild  it,  or  on  a  piece  of  cloth  and 
glue  it  to  the  front  of  the  cover  as  shown  in  Fig.  73. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING,  BURN- 
ING BRANDS  AND  STENCILS 

Rubber  Stamps 

A  rubber  stamp  is  type  matter  molded  in  rubber 
which  is  then  mounted  on  a  block  with  a  handle  as 
shown  in  Fig.  77.  When  the  stamp  is  inked  and 
then  pressed  on  a  smooth  surface  it  leaves  an  impres- 
sion on  it. 

Rubber  stamps  are  useful  for  marking  tags,  books, 
boxes,  bundles,  etc.,  but  it  is  very  bad  taste  to  use  them 
for  letter-heads  and  envelopes. 

How  to  Make  Rubber  Stamps. —  The  Materials 
Needed. —  To  make  rubber  stamps  you  will  need  ( i ) 
one  or  more  fonts  of  type;  (2)  a  composing  stick  if 
you  intend  setting  up  more  than  one  line;  (3)  a  frame 
called  a  chase,  4x5  inches  on  the  sides  made  of  a 
strip  of  wood  I  inch  wide  and  J%6  inch  high,  which  is 
the  height  of  type  from  its  feet  to  its  shoulder;  (4) 
another  frame,  called  the  matrix  frame,  made  of  a 
strip  of  wood  I  inch  wide,  %  inch  thick  and  4x5 
inches  on  the  sides.  These  two  frames  are  shown  at 
A  and  B  in  Fig.  74.  (5)  Two  smooth  boards  i  inch 
thick,  6  inches  wide  and  7  inches  long;  (6)  a  tooth- 
183 


184 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


brush;  (7)  a  couple  of  pounds  of  dental  plaster  of 
Paris  j  and  (8)  a  /4  pound  of  pure  unvulcanized  rubber. 
Dental  plaster  is  finer  than  the  ordinary  kind  and 
you  can  buy  all  you  will  need  from  your  family  dentist 
for  5  or  10  cents  a  pound.  Unvulcanized  rubber  for 
rubber  stamps  comes  in  sheets  about  %e  inch  thick  and 
is  sold  under  the  name  of  signature  stamp  gum  and 
you  can  buy  it  for  about  $1.00  a  pound.08 


Be  THE  MATRIX  FRAME 


FlG.  74.      THE  MATRIX  FRAME,  CHASE  AND  BOARDS  FOR  MAKING 
RUBBER  STAMPS 

Unvulcanized  rubber  is  crude  india-rubber  mixed 
with  sulphur  and  when  this  is  heated  it  gets  very  soft 
and  can  be  molded  by  putting  it  under  pressure ;  when 
it  gets  cold  it  is  not  only  much  stronger  than  before 
but  it  is  very  elastic  as  well. 

68  You  can  buy  signature  stamp  gum  of  The  Goodyear  Tire 
and  Rubber  Company,  lo  Central  Park  West,  New  York  City. 
In  ordering  of  this  firm  ask  for  No.  4093,  %e  inch  thick. 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     185 

Making  the  Mold. —  Since  you  know  how  to  make 
pewter  castings  and  how  to  set  type,  making  a  rubber 
stamp  will  be  as  easy  as  rolling  off  a  log. 

When  you  have  the  type  set  up  that  you  want  to 
make  the  rubber  stamp  of,  put  a  lead69  on  each  side 
of  it,  oil  it  all  over  with  sweet  oil  and  tie  a  string 
around  it  tight.  Lay  the  thick,  shoulder  high  wood 
frame  over  the  type  matter  you  have  set  and  see  that 
it  is  in  the  middle  of  it. 

Next  mix  up  a  little  more  than  enough  plaster  with 
cold  water  in  a  bowl  to  fill  the  frame;  stir  it  with  a 
tablespoon  and  make  it  about  as  thick  as  sorghum 
molasses.  Pour  the  plaster  all  around  the  type  in 
the  frame  and  fill  up  the  space  between  them  as  high 
as  the  face  of  the  fype.  Now  let  the  plaster  set™ 
that  is,  get  hard,  which  it  will  do  in  a  very  few  min- 
utes. When  it  is  hard  enough  to  hold  the  type  in 
place  and  yet  before  it  gets  solid  take  the  tooth-brush, 
dip  it  in  water  and  brush  away  the  plaster  until  it  is 
exactly  even  with  the  frame,  and  hence,  even  with  the 
shoulders  of  the  type  as  shown  in  Fig.  75. 

When  the  plaster  has  set  hard  oil  the  face  of  the 
type  and  the  plaster  with  sweet  oil;  now  lay  the  thin 
frame  over  the  thick  frame ;  mix  up  some  more  plaster 
with  water  and  make  it  thin  enough  so  that  it  will 

69  See  the  preceding  chapter  on  printing. 

TO  \Vhen  calcium  sulphate  is  heated  it  loses  its  water  of  crys- 
tallization and  forms  a  powder,  which  we  call  plaster  of  Paris; 
the  plaster  has  the  power  of  taking  up  water  and  forming  a 
solid  substance,  and  this  process  is  called  setting. 


i86 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


flow  easily  into  every  little  space  of  the  type  and  fill 
the  frame  up  with  it. 

Let  this  frame  stay  on  the  lower  frame  over  night 
so  that  it  will  get  very  hard  and  you  can  then  lift  it 
off,  when  a  very  sharp  impression  of  the  type  faces 
will  be  formed  in  it  shoulder  deep,  that  is  as  deep  in 
the  plaster  as  the  face  of  the  type  is  high.  This  frame 
with  its  plaster  impression  is  called  the  matrix. 


TfP£ 


MATRIX  OF  TYPE 
F/)C£S  IN  PLASTER 


FlG.   75D.      THE  TYPE   IN    THE  CHASE.      E.      PLASTER   OF   PARIS 
IMPRESSION   IN   THE  MATRIX  FRAME 

Vulcanizing  the  Rubber. —  Cut  a  piece  of  the  un- 
vulcanized  gum  rubber  %  inch  wider  and  longer  all 
round  than  the  impression  of  the  type;  peel  the  strip  of 
muslin  from  the  strip  of  rubber  gum  and  lay  it  on  the 
matrix.  Put  one  of  the  boards  on  top  of  the  rubber 
and  the  other  on  the  bottom  of  the  matrix  and  screw 
them  together  tight  with  the  iron  clamps  as  shown 
in  Fig.  76. 

Half  fill  a  kettle  with  water;  lay  the  mold  on  top 
of  the  kettle  —  but  not  in  the  water  —  and  put  both  of 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     187 

them  in  a  hot  oven  for  30  minutes.  When  the  rubber 
gum  gets  hot  it  softens  and  the  pressure  of  the  screws 
forces  it  into  the  letters  of  the  matrix  and  so  makes 
rubber  type  of  them.  The  steam  from  the  kettle  will 
keep  the  wood  from  charring  and  the  rubber  from 
burning  but  has  no  other  action  on  it. 

UNVULCflNIZED 

RUBBER  GUM 


FRAME 

FlG.   76.     THE   MATRIX   WITH   THE  RUBBER  GUM   IN   PLACE  READY  TO 


The  heat  vulcanizes"1^  the  rubber  gum  and  makes  it 
springy  and  stretchy,  but  if  it  gets  too  hot  it  will  be- 
come hard  and  you  will  have  hard  rubber  instead.  To 
get  just  the  right  degree  of  heat  a  vulcanizer™  which 
is  simply  a  little  boiler  with  a  thermometer  on  top,  is 
used  by  rubber  stamp  makers. 

T1  Vulcanizing  is  the  process  of  heating  raw  India  rubber  with 
sulphur;  the  sulphur  combines  with  the  rubber  to  form  a  new 
compound.  If  a  large  amount  of  sulphur  is  used  and  great  heat 
is  used  hard  rubber,  or  vulcanite,  or  ebonite  is  formed.  If  a 
small  amount  of  sulphur  and  a  low  heat  are  used  the  elastic 
rubber  that  is  so  common  is  formed. 

"The  S.  S.  White  Dental  Mfg.  Co.,  5  Union  Square,  New 
York,  sells  them,  and  unvulcanized  rubber  as  well. 


188  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Mounting  the  Rubber. —  All  that  you  need  to  do 
now  is  to  trim  off  the  edges  of  the  rubber  stamp  with 
a  pair  of  shears  and  mount  it  on  a  smooth  block  of 
wood  having  a  handle  as  shown  in  Fig.  77. 


FlG.  77.     THE  RUBBER   STAMP  READY  TO  USE 

How  to  Use  a  Rubber  Stamp. —  A  special  kind  of 
ink  is  used  for  rubber  stamps,  as  writing  ink  is  too 
thin  and  printing  ink  spoils  the  rubber. 

To  Make  an  Ink  Pad. —  Cut  out  two  blocks  of  pine 
wood  each  of  which  is  /4  inch  thick,  2  inches  wide 
and  3  inches  long;  cut  out  four  strips  of  woolen  cloth 
2x3  inches,  lay  two  of  the  strips  on  each  block  and 
then  cover  the  latter  by  gluing  a  piece  of  muslin 
over  it. 

Pour  a  dozen  or  15  drops  of  rubber  stamp  ink  on 
each  pad  and  rub  the  surfaces  of  both  of  them  to- 
gether to  distribute  the  ink  evenly.  When  not  in  use 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     189 

keep  their  inked  surfaces  together  and  in  a  box  so 
that  the  dust  will  not  get  on  them.73 

To  Make  Rubber  Stamp  Inks. —  A  Black  Ink. — 
Mix  3  parts  of  lampblack  with  7  parts  of  olive  oil. 

A  Red  Ink. —  Mix  2  parts  of  vermilion  with  3  parts 
of  olive  oil. 

A  Blue  Ink. —  Mix  3  parts  of  aniline  blue  and  6 
parts  of  oleic  acid  with  94  parts  of  castor  oil. 

A  Green  Ink. —  Mix  25  parts  of  aniline  blue,  15 
parts  aniline  lemon  yellow,  50  parts  oleic  acid  and 
castor  oil  950  parts. 

How  to  Make  a  Copygraph  Pad. —  A  copy  graph 
pad,  or  hectograph,  as  it  is  often  called  —  from  the 
Greek  hekaton  which  means  100,  and  graph  to  write, 
hence  to  write  a  hundred  —  is  a  gelatine  pad  for 
duplicating  a  letter  or  a  drawing. 

To  use  a  copygraph  pad  you  must  write  your  origi- 
nal letter  with  an  aniline  ink;  then  you  lay  it  on  the 
pad  and  rub  it  down  with  your  fingers.  When  you 
remove  the  sheet  an  impression  will  be  left  on  the  face 
of  the  pad  and  if  now  you  lay  a  sheet  of  clean  paper 
on  the  pad,  rub  it  and  pull  it  off  you  will  have  a  copy 
almost  as  bright  and  clear  as  the  original.  In  this 
way  as  many  as  50  or  100  copies  of  the  original  letter 
can  be  made. 

To  make  a  copygraph  pad  put  I  ounce  of  the  best 
gelatine  in  enough  water  to  cover  it  and  let  it  stand  for 

73  You  can  buy  a  good  rubber  stamp  pad  for  a  quarter.  Rubber 
stamps,  pads,  and  ink  can  be  bought  of  the  Ever  son  and  Reed 
Co.,  88  Chambers  St.,  N.  Y.  C. 


190  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

24  hours.  Put  a  tablespoon ful  of  table  salt  into  a  cup 
of  water,  pour  it  into  the  outside  can  of  a  water 
jacketed  pot.  Put  6  ounces  of  glycerine  in  the  inside 
pot,  set  the  pot  on  the  stove  and  heat  it  good  and  hot, 
or  to  be  exact,  to  about  200  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

Drain  off  all  the  water  from  the  gelatine  and  put 
the  latter  in  the  glycerine  while  it  is  yet  on  the  fire; 
stir  the  mixture  slowly  every  once  in  a  while  in  order 
to  prevent  bubbles  from  forming,  and  skim  off  the 
froth  that  forms  on  top  of  it.  When  you  have  a  nice 
smooth  mixture  stir  in  a  teaspoon  ful  of  oil  of  cloves 
to  keep  it  sweet. 

Next  make  a  pan  of  sheet  zinc  a  little  larger  than 
the  letter  you  want  to  copy  and  %  an  inch  high,  or 
you  can  use  a  tin  pie  pan  if  you  merely  want  to  try 
it  out.  Set  the  pan  on  a  level  table,  fill  it  with  the 
hot  mixture,  let  it  stand  over  night  and  it  is  ready 
to  use. 

How  to  Copy  a  Letter. —  You  must  write  your 
letter  with  a  special  aniline  ink,  called  hectograph  ink, 
and  use  a  new  steel  pen  to  do  it  with. 

While  the  writing  is  getting  dry  take  a  small  clean 
sponge,  wet  it  with  cold  water,  squeeze  it  as  dry  as 
you  can,  wash  the  face  of  the  gelatine  with  it  before 
you  try  to  make  an  impression  or  else  you  will  spoil 
the  pad. 

This  done,  lay  the  sheet  of  paper  with  the  written 
side  down  on  the  pad  and  gently  rub  your  fingers  over 
every  part  of  it.  Let  the  paper  stay  on  the  pad  for  a 
couple  of  minutes,  then  grip  a  corner  of  it  and  pull 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     191 

it  slowly  and  evenly  from  the  pad  as  shown  in  Fig. 
78.     Now  you  are  ready  to  make  your  copies. 

To  do  this  lay  a  clean  sheet  of  paper  on  the  pad, 
rub  it  as  you  did  the  original,  let  it  remain  for  a  min- 
ute and  pull  it  off.  Keep  on  making  copies  until  you 
have  as  many  as  you  want  or  the  impression  gets  too 
faint. 


THE,  GELATINE 


^TVjJE  TiNOR  ZINCP/7M 
FlG.  78.     PULLING  AN   IMPRESSION  FROM   THE  COPYGRAPH 

When  you  get  through  pulling  copies  wash  the  face 
of  the  pad  with  a  moist  sponge  and  let  it  dry  thor- 
oughly before  you  make  a  new  copy. 

How  to  Make  Hectograph  Inks. —  Black  Ink. — 
Mix  10  parts  of  methyl  violet;  20  parts  of  nigrosene; 
30  parts  of  glycerine;  5  parts  of  gum  arable  and  60 
parts  of  alcohol.  Heat  it  until  the  anilines  are  dis- 
solved and  stir  until  all  are  thoroughly  mixed. 

Red  Ink. —  Mix  10  parts  of  fuchsin,  10  parts  of 
alcohol;  10  parts  of  glycerine  and  50  parts  of  water. 
Heat  and  stir  as  before. 


192  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Die  Sinking 

How  to  Make  Badges,  etc. —  It  is  fascinating  work 
to  sink  a  name  into  a  piece  of  sheet  metal  with  steel 
dies  and  yet  it  is  very  easy  if  you  have  the  tools  and 
you  can  make  some  money  out  of  it  too,  for  every 
boy  wants  a  badge  or  a  medal. 


SHEET  OF  GERMAN    TH5SHIELD 
SILVER  OR  BRASS   CUTOUT 
WTH  SHIELD 
MARKED  ON  IT 

FlG.    79A,    B.      FIRST    STEPS    IN    MAKING   A   BADGE 

Badges  can  be  made  of  any  kind  of  sheet  metal  %4 
inch  thick  or  more  but  German  silver 74  makes  mighty 
pretty  ones  for  it  takes  a  high  polish  and  remains 
bright  a  long  time.  To  cut  out  a  shield,  a  star  or  any 
kind  of  a  badge  get  a  %  and  a  M>  inch  straight  cold 
chisel  and  a  %  and  a  %  inch  curved  cold  chisel,75  also 
a  block  of  hard  wood  one  side  of  which  must  be  nice 
and  smooth.76 

74  You  can  buy  German  silver  in  any  quantity  and  thickness  of 
Patterson  Bros.,  Park  Row,  N.  Y. 

"The  P.  F.  Smith  Co.,  325  West  42nd  St.,  N.  Y.  C,  make 
these  chisels. 

78  You  can  make  it  so  by  scraping  it  with  a  piece  of  glass. 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     193 

Draw  the  outline  of  the  badge  you  intend  to  make 
on  a  sheet  of  meal;  lay  the  latter  on  the  block  of  wood 
and  then  cut  it  out  with  your  chisels  and  hammer  as 
shown  at  A  and  B  in  Fig.  79.  When  you  have  it  cut 
out,  file  off  the  rough  edges. 

How  to  Sink  the  Letters. —  For  this  part  of  the 
work  you  will  need  a  set  of  Vs  inch  steel  letters™  as 


FlG.   79C.      THE  BADGE  ON   A   FLAT-IRON   IN   A   VISE.      D.      SINKING  IN 
THE  LETTERS 

shown  in  Fig.  80  and  they  will  cost  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  $3.00. 

Mark  the  lines  on  the  badge  on  which  the  letters  are 
to  be  sunk  with  a  very  soft  lead  pencil,  or,  better,  wax 
the  surface  all  over  by  tapping  it  with  your  finger  on 
which  you  have  rubbed  some  white  wax  and  then 
mark  the  lines  with  a  sharp  pointed  piece  of  bone. 

77  Can  be  had  of  Hammacher,  Schlemmer  and  Co.,  Fourth 
Ave.  and  I3th  Street,  New  York. 


194 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


Otherwise  you  will  have  trouble  in  getting  the  lines 
out. 

Now  lay  the  badge  on  a  perfectly  smooth  piece  of 
iron  —  a  flat-iron  screwed  in  a  vise,  see  C,  is  good. 
Then  take  the  middle  letter  of  the  name  you  are  going 
to  stamp  and  hold  it  with  the  notched  side  toward  you 
and  with  the  serifs 78  on  the  lower  edge  of  the  letter 


FlG.  8O.      STEEL  LETTERS  AND  FIGURES  FOR  DIE  SINKING 

exactly  on  the  middle  of  the  line  you  have  drawn  as 
shown  at  D. 

Hold  the  steel  letter  perfectly  straight  and  give  it 
a  goodly  blow  with  the  hammer  when  the  die  will 
sink  into  the  metal  and  leave  the  impression  of  the 
letter  below  the  surface.  Finish  stamping  the  name 
by  working  both  ways  from  the  middle  letter,  for  this 
is  the  way  to  get  the  name  on  the  badge  evenly. 

With  a  set  of  steel  letters  and  figures  you  can  also 
stamp  key  checks,  jewelers'  checks,  baggage  checks  and 

78  See  Chapter  VII,  on  Printing. 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     195 

name  plates  and  also  sink  names  on  wood,  metal, 
leather,  etc. 

Finishing  Up  the  Badge. —  The  next  thing  to  do 
is  to  solder  a  pin  on  the  back  of  the  badge  as  shown 
at  E  in  Fig.  79.  Scrape  the  back  up  and  down  the 
middle  bright  and  clean;  put  a  small  safety  pin  on 
the  badge  and  hold  them  together  with  a  pair  of 
tweezers.  Then  put  on  a  couple  of  drops  of  solder- 
ing fluid.™ 


THEBflCK      RE0DY 
WITH  PIN  TO 

SOLD5REDON  WEAR 

FlG.   7QE,   F.      LAST   STEPS   IN   MAKING  A  BADGE 

Hold  the  badge  with  the  pin  on  top  of  it  in  the 
flame  of  your  alcohol  lamp  or  Bunsen  burner  and  when 
the  soldering  fluid  begins  to  sizzle  touch  the  pin  with 
a  piece  of  wire  solder.  When  the  solder  runs  let  it 
cool  and  the  pin  will  be  on  securely  enough  for  all 
ordinary  purposes. 

Next  polish  up  the  badge  by  rubbing  it  with 
powdered  rottenstone  mixed  with  a  little  machine  oil 

79  See  page  31. 


196  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

and  then  finish  it  off  with  some  crocus.  If  you  have  a 
lathe  of  any  kind  get  a  felt  wheel 80  and  use  the  rotten- 
stone  and  oil  on  it  and  then  the  crocus. 

Heat  the  stamped  surface  of  the  pin  just  a  little  and 
put  some  black  enamel,  which  you  can  get  at  the  hard- 
ware store,  into  the  letters;  rub  off  all  that  sticks  to 
the  surface  but  leave  all  that  is  in  the  sunk  letters. 
Put  it  away  and  let  the  enamel  dry  thoroughly  when 
you  will  have  a  regular  badge  as  shown  at  F. 

Burning  Brands 

A  burning  brand  is  useful  to  mark  the  handles  of 
tools,  boxes  or  anything  made  of  wood  by  burning 
a  name  or  a  design  into  them. 

How  to  Make  a  Burning  Brand. —  To  make  a 
burning  brand,  say  with  your  initials  on  it,  make  a 
cardboard  box  %  inch  wide,  I  inch  high  and  3  inches 
long  and  without  a  top. 

Mix  up  some  plaster  of  Paris,  fill  the  box  with  it 
and  let  it  set.  When  it  is  perfectly  hard  and  dry  tear 
the  cardboard  box  away  from  it,  and  on  the  narrow 
side  of  it,  that  is  the  one  that  is  %  inch  wide,  mark  out 
your  initials,  reversing  the  letters  just  as  they  are  on 
type. 

Take  a  sharp  pocket  knife  and  cut  away  the  plaster 
from  around  the  letters  to  a  depth  of  %  inch,  thus 
leaving  the  letters  standing  out  in  relief  like  type  let- 

80  F.  W.  Gesswein  Co.,  Inc.,  16  John  St.,  sells  engravers',  opti- 
cians', platers'  and  polishers'  supplies. 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     197 

ters  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  81.  Give  it  a  couple  of 
coats  of  shellac  varnish81  which  not  only  protects  the 
plaster  to  a  certain  extent  but  prevents  it  from  sticking 
to  the  mold. 


A  PLASTER  OF  PARIS 
PATTERN  FOR  A 
BURNING  BRAND 


3 


THE.  BURNING 
FlG.  8l.      A  BURNING  BRAND  OF   IRON   OR   COPPER 

Now  take  this  pattern  to  a  brass  foundry  and  have 
a  brass  casting  made  of  it.  When  you  get  it  file  it 
up  nice  and  smooth  and  be  careful  to  keep  the  surface 
of  the  letters  perfectly  flat.  This  done,  drill  a  M« 
inch  hole  in  the  center  of  the  back  of  the  brand  to  a 
depth  of  Yt  an  inch  and  thread  it  with  a  MR  inch  tap. 

The  next  and  last  thing  to  do  is  to  get  an  iron  rod 
Y*  inch  in  diameter,  and  12  inches  long,  bend  a  ring 
on  one  end,  thread  the  other  end  with  a  Mo  inch  die 
and  screw  it  into  the  brand,  when  it  will  look  like  B. 

How  to  Use  the  Burning  Brand. —  To  use  the  burn- 
ing brand  put  it  in  a  fire  and  when  it  is  about  red  hot, 
take  it  out  and  press  it  firmly  on  the  wood  you  want 


81  You  can  make  this  varnish  by  dissolving  yellow  gum  shellac 
in  alcohol  or  you  can  buy  it  at  a  paint  store. 


198          HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

to  mark  and  your  initials  will  be  left  on  the  wood  as 
long  as  the  wood  lasts,  nearly. 

Stencils 

A  stencil  is  a  piece  of  heavy  paper  or  thin  sheet  of 
metal  in  which  letters  or  a  design  are  cut  through  with 
broken  lines,  and  it  is  used  for  marking  the  letters  or 
design  on  any  smooth  surface  by  daubing  a  color  on 
it  through  the  open  spaces  with  a  brush  or  sponge. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  stencils,  namely  (i) 
those  used  for  practical  work  and  (2)  those  used  for 
decorative  purposes. 

How  to  Cut  Stencils. —  You  can  cut  your  stencils 
in  either  (a)  oil  board,82  or  (b)  in  thin  sheet  brass  or 
copper.  Paper  stencils,  as  those  cut  in  oil  board  are 
called,  are  much  easier  to  make  than  those  cut  in  sheet 
metal  and  as  they  are  quite  durable  they  will  probably 
serve  your  every  need. 

Cutting  Paper  Stencils. —  All  you  need  to  cut  paper 
stencils  with  is  a  sheet  of  oil  board  and  a  pen-knife 
with  a  good,  sharp-pointed  blade.  A  stencil  alphabet 
is  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  82  and  by  taking  a  look  at  it 
you  will  see  exactly  where  the  lines  must  be  broken 
to  hold  the  letters  together. 

First  mark  out  with  a  pencil  the  size  of  the  sheet 
you  want  the  stencil  to  be  and  then  draw  a  line  down 
through  the  middle  to  divide  it  into  equal  parts.  For 
every  line  of  letters  you  want  draw  a  pair  of  lines 

8-  Oil  board  can  be  bought  of  C.  B.  Hewitt  and  Bros.,  48  Beek- 
man  St.,  New  York. 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING     199 

across  the  oil  board  and  have  the  space  between  them 
whatever  you  want  the  height  of  the  letters  to  be. 

When  you  mark  in  the  name  or  word  start  with 
the  middle  letter  and  draw  it  on  the  middle  line  of  the 
board  and  then  draw  in  the  rest  of  the  letters  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left;  by  lettering  the  oil  board  or 
metal  this  way  you  will  get  the  whole  name  or  word 
exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  sheet. 


B 


HUKI.MH 
nPClHSTU 
VWXYZ& 


FlG.   82.      STENCIL  LETTERS   AND   STENCILS 

A.  How  stencil  letters  are  cut. 

B.  A  stencil  for  marking  boxes. 

C.  Decorative  stencil  for  wall  borders. 

To  cut  the  stencil  lay  it  on  a  smooth  board  and  hold 
your  knife  just  as  you  do  a  pen  when  you  write  but 
with  your  fingers  a  little  closer  to  the  point.  Start  at 
the  top  of  each  line  if  it  is  a  vertical  one,  or  on  the 
left  hand  side  if  it  is  horizontal;  hold  the  knife  at  a 
slight  angle  so  that  all  the  lines  you  cut  will  slant  in 
toward  the  center  of  the  letter  and  so  bevel  the  paper. 
In  cutting  the  stencil  you  can  turn  the  sheet  around 
to  bring  the  lines  into  the  best  position  for  cutting. 

It  does  not  take  much  pressure  to  cut  through  the 
board  but  press  down  hard  enough  on  the  blade  to 


200  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

make  the  first  cut  go  clear  through  and  never  cut  over 
the  same  line  twice  and  also  make  the  cuts  run  right 
up  sharp  into  the  corners.  It  takes  very  small  skill 
to  cut  stencils  but  the  chief  part  of  the  art  lies  in  draw- 
ing the  letters  or  the  designs  on  the  paper  or  metal. 

Cutting  Brass  Stencils. —  To  cut  sheet  metal  stencils 
use  annealed  83  sheet  metal  about  No.  25  Brown  and 
Sharpe  gauge;  84  mark  out  the  letters  or  design  as  for 
paper  stencils  and  then  cut  them  with  stencil  chisels. 
When  you  have  the  stencil  all  cut  file  the  burr  off  of 
the  edges  of  the  letters  or  design  with  a  fine  file  and 
file  them  at  an  angle  so  that  all  the  edges  are  sharp. 
A  practical  stencil  is  shown  at  B. 

How  to  Use  Practical  Stencils. —  A  short,  stubby 
brush,  called  a  stencil  brush  and  made  especially  for 
the  purpose  is  the  best  kind  to  use  to  stencil  with. 
Dampen  it  a  little  and  rub  it  on  a  cake  of  stencil  ink;  88 
hold  the  stencil  down  tight  to  the  surface  you  are  to 
mark  and  then  dab  —  not  paint  —  the  spaces  in  it 
with  the  brush. 

How  to  Make  Stencil  Inks. —  Dissolve  4  ounces  of 
shellac  and  i  part  of  borax  in  a  little  boiling  water  and 
put  in  enough  logwood  to  make  it  red  if  this  is  the 
color  you  want  it,  or  blue  carmine  if  you  want  it  to  be 

88  Patterson  Bros.,  Park  Row,  New  York,  carry  sheet  brass  and 
copper  in  stock  for  stencils. 

84  The  Brown  and  Sharpe  Wire  Gage  is  also  used  for  measur- 
ing the  thickness  of  sheet  metal. 

85  Nearly  every  stationery  store  carries  stencil  ink  and  brushes 
in  stock,  or  you  can  get  them  of  Hammacher,  Schlemmer  and 
Co.,  Cor.  Fourth  Ave.  and  I3th  Street,  N.  Y.  C. 


RUBBER  STAMPS,  DIE  SINKING    201 

blue.  Then  add  enough  hot  water  to  make  it  about 
as  thick  as  cream. 

How  to  Use  Decorative  Stencils. —  Art  stencils 
can  be  used  with  good  effect  for  certain  kinds  of  deco- 
rative work,  but  it  is  especially  adapted  for  putting 
borders  on  kalsomined  walls.  You  can  cut  these 
stencils,  see  C  in  Fig.  82,  after  your  own  design  or 
you  can  buy  them  already  cut.86 

Mixing  Colors  for  Stenciling  Borders. —  To  make 
the  colors  for  decorative  stencils  stir  a  very  little 
moresco  stenciling  color 87  with  some  hot  water ;  be 
careful  not  to  use  too  much  color  or  the  effect  on  the 
kalsomined  or  frescoed  wall  will  be  too  contrasting. 
Beautiful  colors  in  half-a-dozen  tints  can  be  had  for 
this  work. 

86  Write  to  the  Frost  and  Adams  Co.,  Cornhill,  Boston,  Mass., 
for  a  catalogue  of  their  Art  Cut  Stencils.    Also  to  Sears,  Roebuck 
and  Co.,  Chicago,  Ills.,  for  a  list  of  their  decorative  stencils. 

87  Made  by  Benjamin  H.   Moore  and  Son's  Co.,  180  William 
St.,  N.  Y.,  and  sold  by  paint  dealers  generally. 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS 

ONE  of  the  most  fascinating  of  the  mechanical  arts 
is  working  in  glass.  One  reason  for  this  is  because  it 
is  a  substance  so  beautiful,  so  hard  and  so  fragile  that 
it  seems  to  the  ordinary  observer  to  be  beyond  the  pale 
of  tools. 

Au  contraire,  as  the  French  say  it,  glass  is  easily 
worked  if  you  mix  a  little  skill  with  the  right  kind  of 
tools  and  it  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  tell  you  how 
to  do  it.  Further,  the  tools  you  need  are  few  and  the 
material  is  inexpensive. 

What  Glass  Is. —  Before  getting  down  to  the  pro- 
cesses by  which  glass  can  be  worked  it  is  a  good  scheme 
to  know  about  the  substance  itself. 

Hieroglyphic  88  inscriptions  on  the  Egyptian  monu- 
ments show  that  the  art  of  working  glass  was  prac- 
ticed 4,000  years  ago  or  before  the  Hebrew  exodus.89 
Now  glass  is  a  chemical  compound,  the  chief  substance 
of  which  is  sand. 

Common  glass  is  made  by  melting  sand,  lime  and 
soda  together.  Sand  is  formed  of  a  chemical  element 

88  The  early  Egyptians  carved  the  history  of  their  arts  on  stone 
in  a  sign  language  called  hieroglyphics  from  the  Greek  hieros 
which  means  sacred,  and  glypho  which  means  to  carve. 

89  The  departure  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Moses. 

202 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     203 

called  silica;  lime  is  calcium  carbonate  and  soda  is 
sodium  carbonate  and  there  you  have  three  chemical 
elements  which  when  they  are  melted  together  make 
common  window  glass. 

Glass  which  contains  lime  is  called  crown  glass  and 
it  is  this  kind  which  is  used  in  making  one  of  a  pair  of 
achromatic  90  lenses.  Flint  glass  which  is  the  kind  of 
glass  used  in  making  the  other  one  of  a  pair  of  achro- 
matic lenses  contains  lead  instead  of  lime. 

Flint,  or  lead,  glass  melts  more  easily  than  crown, 
or  common,  glass  and  this  is  a  good  pointer  for  you  to 
remember  when  you  are  getting  glass  for  your  glass 
blowing  experiments.  Bohemian  glass,  which  is 
largely  used  for  chemical  apparatus,  is  made  of  sand, 
lime  and  potash. 

Colored  glass  is  made  by  putting  small  quantities 
of  various  substances  into  the  melted  glass.  Thus 
oxide  of  cobalt 91  gives  a  blue  color;  oxide  of 
chromium,  or  cupric  oxide  a  green;  one  of  the  copper 
oxides  gives  it  a  red  color,  uranium  92  a  yellow,  etc. 

How  to  Cut  Glass. —  About  the  simplest  and  most 
useful  process  for  you  to  know  is  how  to  cut  glass. 

To  cut  window  glass  you  need  (i)  a  glass  cutter; 
(2)  a  drawing  board  and  (3)  a  T  square.  There 
are  two  kinds  of  glass  cutters  on  the  market  and  these 
are  (a)  steel  cutters  and  (b)  diamond  cutters. 

The  first  kind  has  a  little  steel  wheel  in  the  end, 

90  An  achromatic  lens  is  one  that  is  free  from  color. 

91  Cobalt  is  a  metal  and  is  usually  found  along  with  nickel. 
82  Uranium  is  also  a  metal. 


204 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  83.  You  can  buy  one  for  a 
quarter  and  it  will  serve  all  your  needs  very  well.  If 
money  is  no  object  you  can  buy  a  glass  cutter  with 
a  diamond  point  such  as  glaziers  use  for  about  $4.00. 
This  kind  of  a  glass  cutter  has  a  chip  of  genuine  dia- 
mond in  a  swivel  end  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  cut  glass 
with  one  of  them.  It  is  shown  at  B. 


FlG.  83.     GLASS  CUTTERS 

A.  A  steel  wheel  glass  cutter. 

B.  A  diamond  point  glass  cutter. 

How  to  Use  a  Glass  Cutter. —  "  There  are  tricks 
in  all  trades  but  ours,"  said  the  carpenter  as  he  drove 
in  a  screw  with  a  hammer,  and  so  if  you  will  dip  the 
steel  wheel  cutter  into  some  kerosene  before  each  cut 
is  made  you  will  be  surprised  to  find  how  easily  it 
cuts. 

To  use  a  diamond  cutter,  hold  it  just  as  you  would 
hold  a  pencil  and  grip  the  three  sided  part  with  your 
thumb,  index  and  middle  fingers,  as  shown  at  C. 
Then  place  the  cutter  against  the  straight  edge  of  your 
T  square,  press  it  down  firmly  on  the  glass  and  draw 
it  along  evenly. 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     205 

To  make  the  right  kind  of  a  cut  hold  the  diamond  at 
a  sharp  angle,  that  is,  very  slanting,  and  raise  it  slowly 
until  a  smooth,  sound  and  clear  cut  is  made.  Don't 


FlG.  830      THE  RIGHT  WAY  TO  HOLD  A  DIAMOND  POINT  GLASS  CUTTER 

hold  it  straight  up  and  down  or  you  will  surely  spoil 
it,  and  never  never  cut  twice  over  the  same  line. 


FlG.  84.      HOW  TO  CUT  A  PANE  OF  GLASS 

It  takes  more  skill  to  use  a  diamond  cutter  the 
right  way  than  to  use  a  steel  cutter,  but  a  little  practice 
will  make  you  proficient. 


206  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

When  you  want  to  cut  a  sheet  of  glass  lay  it  on  your 
drawing  board  with  the  blade  of  the  T  square  on  it 
and  the  head  of  it  against  the  edge  of  the  glass  as 
shown  in  Fig.  84;  hold  it  tight  and  then  make  a  good, 
clean  cut.  You  can  then  easily  break  the  sheet  of  glass 
along  the  cut  if  there  is  enough  glass  on  each  side  of 
the  cut  to  get  a  firm  hold  on.  If  not  put  it  into  one 
of  the  notches  on  the  shank  of  the  glass  cutter  and 
you  can  then  easily  break  it  off. 

How  to  Finish  Off  Glass  Edges.—  When  you  cut 
a  sheet  of  glass  the  edge  left  by  the  cutter  will  be 
slightly  rough.  To  smooth  it  up  and  round  off  the 
corners  rub  it  on  a  whetstone,  that  is  any  kind  of  a 
coarse  stone  on  which  you  have  poured  a  little  water. 
A  better  way  is  to  grind  it  on  a  grindstone  if  you 
have  one. 

How  to  Drill  Holes  in  Glass.— To  drill  a  hole 
through  a  sheet  of  glass  make  a  layer  of  putty  %  an 
inch  thick  and  as  large  as  the  sheet  you  are  going  to 
drill  and  lay  the  glass  on  it. 

The  idea  of  using  the  bed  of  putty  is  to  allow  the 
glass  to  bend  a  little  should  you  press  down  on  the 
drill  too  hard.  Take  a  Morse  twist  drill  and,  if  you 
know  how,  grind  it  on  a  grindstone  to  a  sharper  point 
than  it  has  when  you  get  it ;  the  next  best  thing  to  do 
is  to  sharpen  it  on  your  oilstone. 

The  best  kind  of  a  drill  stock  to  use  is  an  archimcd- 
ian,  or  a  reciprocating  one,  as  shown  at  B  in  Fig.  n, 
on  page  29,  for  then  the  pressure  on  the  glass  is  even 
in  every  direction.  Set  the  drill  on  the  glass  at  the 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     207 

point  where  the  hole  is  to  be  made;  hold  it  with  the 
fingers  of  your  left  hand  to  keep  it  from  slipping  and 
lubricate  it  well  with  turpentine. 

Work  the  drill  at  a  fairly  high  speed  and  do  not  put 
too  much  pressure  on  the  drill  stock  or  you  will  surely 
break  the  glass. 

You  will  find  it  quite  hard  to  drill  a  hole  less  than 
Me  inch  in  diameter  through  ordinary  glass  because 
the  drills  will  break  and  when  you  drill  a  hole  over  % 
inch  in  diameter  you  will  find  it  a  slow  job  because  of 
its  size,  but  you  can  drill  a  hole  up  to  }4  inch  in  di- 
ameter if  you  go  slow  and  are  careful. 

A  Couple  of  Ways  to  Cut  Glass  Tubing. —  The 
First  Way. —  A  simple  way  to  cut,  or  rather  break  off 
a  piece  of  glass  tube  evenly  is  to  make  a  cut  all  round 
the  tube  with  a  three-cornered  file 92  and  you  can 
break  it  off  at  the  line  without  trouble. 


FlG.  85.      A  CUTTER  FOR  GLASS  TUBES 

The  Second  Way. —  An  easy  and  sure  way  to  cut 
glass  tubing  off  smooth  is  to  use  a  gauge  glass  cutter;  93 
this  is  a  V  steel  rod  with  a  seat  on  one  end  and  a  steel 
cutting  wheel  on  the  other.  The  arm  of  the  rod  hold- 
ing the  wheel  is  marked  off  in  fractions  of  an  inch  like 

»2The  right  name  of  a  three  cornered  file  is  a  three  square 
Me. 

»*You  can  buy  one  of  these  tools  of  Hammacher,  Schlemmer 
and  Co.,  Fourth  Ave.  and  i3th  St.,  New  York. 


208  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

a  rule  and  a  stop  with  a  set  screw  in  it  slides  on  this  rod 
as  shown  in  Fig.  85. 

To  use  the  cutter  set  the  stop  on  the  rod  at  the  length 
you  want  to  cut  the  tube;  then  put  the  rod  with  the 
cutter  on  it  in  the  tube  and  with  the  seat  outside ;  press 
the  V  rods  together  tight  and  turn  it  and  the  tube  in 
opposite  directions  when  it  will  make  a  good  cut  and 
you  can  break  the  tube  in  two  easily. 

How  to  Cut  Glass  Disks. —  By  sawing  out  a 
round  board,  laying  it  flat  on  a  sheet  of  glass  and 
running  your  glass  cutter  around  the  edge  of  the 
pattern  you  can  cut  out  an  approximately  round  disk 
of  glass. 


FlG.   86.      A    CIRCULAR   GLASS   CUTTER 

But  to  cut  out  a  perfectly  round  disk  you  must  have 
a  circular  glass  cutter  93  as  shown  in  Fig.  86.  It  has 
an  adjustable  cutter  head  mounted  on  a  square  rod  so 
that  the  head  can  be  turned  on  it.  The  rod  is  mounted 
on  a  hardwood  base  so  that  it  can  revolve  around  the 
latter. 

After  the  cutter  head  is  set  on  the  rod  for  the  size 
of  the  circle  you  intend  to  cut  hold  it  down  on  the 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     209 

glass  by  the  thumb-piece.  The  cutter  head  is  then 
moved  round  in  a  circle  and  a  clean  cut  is  made  after 
which  the  edge  of  the  disk  can  be  smoothed  up. 

This  circular  glass  cutter,  which  is  called  the 
Little  Beauty,  will  cut  a  circle  20  inches  in  diameter 
and  costs  about  50  cents.  If  you  are  making  a  fric- 
tional  electric  machine  this  is  the  tool  you  need  to  cut 
the  glass  plates  with. 

How  to  Bend  Glass  Tubing. —  It  is  useful  to  know 
how  to  bend  a  piece  of  glass  tubing,  especially  if  you 
are  interested  in  chemistry  and  want  to  set  up  some 
apparatus  —  in  fact  you  should  know  how  before  you 
ever  start  to  experiment. 

There  are  just  two  things  you  need  to  bend  glass 
tubes  with  and  these  are  ( i )  a  Bunsen  burner  94  and 
(2)  the  glass  tubing,  both  of  which  you  can  buy  of 
Eimer  and  Amend,  Fourth  Avenue,  Cor.  i8th  Street, 
New  York. 

What  a  Bunsen  Burner  Is. —  This  is  a  burner  in 
which  a  jet  of  ordinary  illuminating  gas  is  mixed  with 
air,  the  amount  being  regulated  by  a  ring  which  opens 
and  closes  the  air  holes  in  the  burner. 

A  Bunsen  burner  makes  a  very  hot  flame  because  the 
gas  in  the  tube  moves  faster  than  in  an  ordinary  burner 
and  the  oxygen  in  the  air  aids  the  gas  to  burn.  A 
plain  Bunsen  burner  is  shown  at  A,  in  Fig.  87.  If 
you  have  no  gas  in  your  house  you  can  use  an 

94  Complete  instructions  for  making  a  Bunsen  burner  will  be 
found  in  The  Magic  of  Science  by  the  present  author  and  pub- 
lished by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  New  York. 


210 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


alcohol  lamp  95  which  you  can  either  buy  or  make  for 
yourself. 

Bending  the  Glass  Tube. —  To  bend  a  piece  of  glass 
tube  you  should  have  a  fish  tail  jet  set  in  the  end  of  the 
Bunsen  burner  to  give  a  wide  flame  like  an  illuminat- 
ing burner  as  shown  at  B.  Hold  the  tube  over  the 
flame  of  the  burner,  or  alcohol  lamp  until  it  is  heated 
red  hot  all  along  the  place  you  want  to  bend  it. 


ACHEflP 
BUNSEN  BURNER 


AIRHOLE 
REGULATOR 


FlG.  87.      KINDS  OF  BUNSEN  BURNERS 

Now  turn  the  tube  in  the  flame  with  your  fingers 
until  it  is  heated  evenly  all  around  and  becomes  soft; 
take  it  from  the  flame  and  quickly  but  gently  bend  it 
as  you  will  which  you  can  do  very  easily.  With 
very  little  practice  you  will  be  able  to  make  a  good 
smooth  bend  just  where  you  want  it. 

95  How  to  make  an  alcohol  lamp  out  of  an  ink-bottle  is  ex- 
plained in  The  Magic  of  Science. 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     211 

To  Round  the  Ends  of  a  Tube. —  When  you  cut  a 
tube  either  with  a  file  or  a  glass  cutter  the  edge  of  the 
end  will  be  sharp  but  not  smooth.  All  you  have  to  do 
to  round  it  is  to  heat  it  in  the  flame  until  it  begins  to 
melt,  when  the  glass  will  run  and  make  a  smooth 
edge. 

To  Border  the  Ends  of  a  Tube. —  To  border  a 
tube  means  to  spread  the  edge  out  a  little  all  around 
so  that  a  cork  can  be  put  in  easier  or  a  liquid  poured 
out  better. 


FlG.  88.      BORDERING  THE  END  OF  A  TUBE 

Take  a  piece  of  charcoal  and  shave  it  down  with 
your  knife  to  form  a  cone  the  size  you  want  the  border 
to  be.  Heat  the  end  of  the  tube  by  turning  it  in  the 
flame  until  it  is  quite  soft  and  then  push  in  the  char- 
coal cone,  as  shown  in  Fig.  88. 

To  Seal  Off  the  End  of  a  Tube. —  To  close  one 
end  of  a  tube,  or  seal  it  off  as  it  is  called,  heat  it  in 
a  fish-tail  burner  just  as  I  explained  for  bending 
glass. 

When  the  glass  begins  to  get  soft  pull  the  two  ends 
of  the  tube  apart  until  the  walls  of  the  tube  are  drawn 
together  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  89.  Cut  a  nick  in  the 
thin  solid  part  with  a  file  and  break  it  off.  If  you 
want  a  closed  end  as  shown  at  B  heat  the  end  of  the 


212 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


tube  you  have  sealed  off  and  press  it  down  on  a  piece 
of  iron. 


—PULL 


PULL 


FLAME 


FlG.  89.      SEALING  OFF  THE  END  OF  A  TUBE 

To  Make  a  Glass  Nozzle. —  In  setting  up  chemical 
apparatus  it  very  often  happens  that  a  glass  nozzle  is 
BLOW 


HEflT 
HERE 


LITTLE  BULB 


B 


THEHOLE 

FlG.  90.      HOW  TO  MAKE  A   HOLE  IN  A  TUBE 

needed.     To  make  a  nozzle  seal  off  a  piece  of  glass 
tube  as  described  above  and  by  nicking  it  with  a  file 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     213 

you  can  have  the  hole  in  the  end  of  the  tube  any  size 
you  want  it. 

To  Make  a  Hole  in  a  Tube.—  To  make  a  hole  of 
any  size  in  a  tube,  or  piercing  it,  as  it  is  called,  you 
ought  to  have  a  sharp  pointed  flame  and  a.  blow-pipe, 
which  is  described  farther  on. 

Cork  up  one  end  of  the  tube,  heat  the  point,  see  A 
in  Fig.  90,  where  you  want  the  hole  and  then  stick 
the  other  end  in  your  mouth  and  blow  gentle  puffs 
in  it  until  a  little  bulb  is  formed.  When  the  bulb 
is  cold  take  a  file  and  gently  crack  the  thin  glass 
and  trim  it  away;  now  heat  the  tube  around  the  edge 
of  the  hole  again  until  the  glass  begins  to  run  when  a 
round  smooth  hole  will  be  produced  as  shown  at  B. 

To  Join  Two  Tubes  of  the  Same  Size. —  Put  a 
cork  into  one  end  of  one  of  the  tubes  and  hold  the 


PR6S5  HERE 


FlG.  pi  A.      WELDING  TWO   TUBES   TOGETHER.     B.      MAKING   A   T  TUI 


214 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


other  end  in  the  flame  as  well  as  one  end  of  the  other 
tube  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  91. 

Let  the  ends  of  the  tubes  get  hot  enough  to  melt  but 
not  thicken;  now  press  the  melted  ends  together  hard 
enough  to  make  them  stick  together  but  not  hard 
enough  to  make  them  form  a  thick  ring. 


FLAME 


FlG.    Q2A.      A    REGULAR    BLOW-PIPE 

To  make  a  good  job  you  should  now  use  a  pointed 
flame  and  heat  the  juncture  all  around  red  hot  and 
blow  into  the  open  end  of  the  tube  to  spread  the 
glass  a  trifle.  While  you  are  blowing  keep  turn- 
ing the  glass  in  the  flame  to  make  the  joint  nice  and 
smooth. 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     215 

To  Join  One  Tube  to  the  Side  of  Another  One. 
—  First  make  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  tube  in  the 
manner  already  described  and  then  cork  up  both  ends ; 
heat  the  tube  around  the  hole  and  one  end  of  the  other 
tube  as  shown  at  B,  in  Fig.  91.  When  they  are  soft 
press  them  together  hard  enough  to  make  a  good  joint. 

It  is  a  good  scheme  to  wrap  cotton  around  the  joint 
while  it  is  still  hot  to  anneal  the  glass,  which  means  to 
make  it  less  brittle  by  letting  it  get  cold  slowly. 

BRflSS  TUBE 


TO  BELLOWS 

FlG.    92B.      CROSS     SECTION     OF    A     HOME    MADE    BLOW-PIPE 

To  Blow  a  Bulb  on  the  End  of  a  Tube. —  How  to 

Make  a  Blow-Pipe. —  For  blowing  bulbs  on  tubes,  for 
flasks  and  the  like,  you  need  a  regular  glassblower's 
blow-pipe  in  order  to  get  a  hotter  flame  than  a  Bunsen 
burner  gives. 

You  can  buy  a  blow-pipe  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  92 
for  $i.5O,96  or  you  can  easily  make  one  as  follows :  get 

96  Blowpipes    and    bellows    can    be    bought    of    Hammacher, 
Schlemmer  and  Co.,  Fourth  Ave.  and  i3th  St.,  New  York. 


2l6 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


a  brass  tube  %  inch  in  diameter  and  10  inches  long 
and  drill  a  Y>  inch  hole  in  it  3  inches  from  one  end; 
fit  another  pipe  of  the  same  size  and  length  at  an  angle 
of  about  30  degrees  to  the  first  one;  put  a  stopcock  in 
the  latter  pipe  and  solder  it  to  the  first  pipe  over  the 
hole  as  shown  at  B  in  Fig.  92. 

Next  take  a  glass  tube  /4  inch  in  diameter  and  14 
inches  long  and  make  a  bend  in  it  3  inches  from  one 
end.  Make  a  hole  through  a  cork  and  push  it  over  the 


BELLOWS 

FlG.  Q2C.     THE  GLASS  BLOWING  ARRANGEMENT  READY  TO  USE 

glass  tube;  slip  the  tube  into  the  brass  pipe  and  force 
the  cork  into  the  end  of  the  latter  tight  enough  to  hold 
the  glass  tube  exactly  in  the  middle  of  it. 

Connect  the  lower  end  of  the  glass  tube  with  a  rub- 
ber tube  about  3  inches  long  to  a  brass  tube  of  the 
same  size  and  8  inches  long  and  fit  a  stopcock  into  this 
pipe.  This  completes  the  burner  but  you  want  to  set 
the  lower  ends  of  the  two  tubes  into  and  through  the 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     217 

top  of  your  table  so  that  the  stopcocks  are  above  it  and 
the  lower  ends  of  the  tubes  project  below  the  table. 

Next  connect  the  large  brass  tube  with  a  gas  jet  or 
other  source  of  illuminating  gas  and  the  small  brass 
tube  with  a  foot  blower  or  other  source  of  compressed 
air  as  shown  at  C.  The  blower  can  be  an  ordinary 
molders  bellows  which  you  can  buy  for  about  $1.50, 
or  you  can  make  a  pair,  or  you  can  buy  a  regular  blow- 
pipe bellows  as  shown  at  D,  which  are  very  much 
better,  for  about  $8.00. 


FlG.   92D.     A   REGULAR   FOOT   BELLOWS 

By  adjusting  the  mouth  of  the  glass  tube  —  which 
is  the  air  tube  —  that  is,  drawing  it  in  and  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  brass  tube  which  is  the  gas  tube,  and  by 
regulating  the  amount  of  air  and  gas,  a  pointed  flame 
or  a  brush  flame,  that  is,  a  flame  of  large  size,  can  be 
had  at  the  mouth  of  the  blowpipe  according  to  the 
work  you  are  doing. 

How  to  Blow  a  Bulb. —  Take  a  good  piece  of  glass 
tube  about  %  inch  in  diameter  and  15  inches  long; 


2l8 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


draw  one  end  out  long  and  thin  for  about  3  inches  as 
shown  at  A  in  Fig.  93. 

Then  heat  a  small  part  of  the  tube  in  a  large,  or 


PRESS  HERE 


HEATHERE 


PR  ESS  HERE 


B 


1 FLAME 

FlG.  93.     FIRST   STEPS   IN   BLOWING   A   GLASS   BULB 

A.  Drawing  out  the  tube. 

B.  Forming  glass  rings  on  the  tube 

brush  flame,  turn  the  glass  in  the  flame  all  the  time 
until  it  is  soft  and  then  press  on  both  ends  to  make 
the  glass  thicker  at  this  point.  Do  the  same  thing 


THICK 
OFGL4SS 


MBJT/9NDS&M. 

OFFHERE 

/CORK 


FlG.  Q3C.      MAKING  A  THICK  RING  OF  GLASS 

above  the  ring  thus  formed,  and  so  on  until  you  have 
several  rings  of  glass  as  shown  at  B,  which  are  thick 
enough  to  make  the  sized  bulb  you  want. 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     219 

Next  heat  the  narrower  parts  marked  a  a  a  a  and 
blow  gently  and  press  gradually  on  the  ends  to 
make  the  thick  rings  melt  and  flow  together  into  one 
large  ring  of  thick  glass  as  shown  at  C;  and  in  do- 
ing so  be  mighty  careful  that  the  walls  do  not  cave 
in. 

Now  melt  and  seal  off  the  tail  and  heat  the 
whole  bulb  in  as  large  a  flame  as  you  can  get  and  at 


THEFLflSK 
WtiEHDONE 

FlG.   93D.      LAST    STEP   IN    BLOWING   A   GLASS    BULB 

the  same  time  turn  the  tube  till  the  rings  run  together. 
At  this  instant  take  it  from  the  flame  and,  still  turning 
it,  blow  into  it  with  a  few  little  quick  blasts  until  you 
get  the  size  and  shape  you  want  as  shown  at  D. 

How  to  Etch  Glass. —  There  are  two  ways  to  etch 
glass  and  these  are  ( i)  with  a  sand  blast  and  (2)  with 
acid. 

The  Sand  Blast  Process. —  The  process  which  fol- 
lows is  a  simplified  form  of  the  regular  sand-blast  way 
of  doing  it,  and  with  it  you  can  easily  make  a  ground 


220 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


glass  surface  or  etch  a  stencilled  name  or  a  design  on 
a  sheet  of  glass. 

All  you  need  is  ( i )  a  box  with  a  tight  fitting  lid  5 
inches  wide,  5  inches  high  and  10  inches  long  as 
shown  at  A  in  Fig.  94.  Cut  a  hole  in  one  end,  say 


FlG.  94A.      PARTS  OF  THE  APPARATUS  FOR  SAND  BLAST  ETCHING 

4%  x  4%  inches,  thus  leaving  a  margin  of  wood  %  an 
inch  wide  all  around;  (2)  a  pound  of  rather  coarse 
emery,  and  (3)  a  pound  of  shot. 

Clean  the  surface  of  the  glass  you  are  going  to 
etch  with  warm  water  with  a  little  soda  in  it,  wash  it 
off  and  rub  it  dry.  Next  cut  a  stencil  with  your 
name  on  it  or  you  can  make  a  geometrical  design  by 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     221 


folding  a  sheet  of  paper  and  cutting  it  out  with  a 
pair  of  shears.  Coat  the  glass  with  a  thin  layer  of 
mucilage,  lay  the  stencil  on  it  and  rub  it  down  flat. 
Rub  the  mucilage  off  clean  in  the  cut  out  parts  with  a 
slightly  moist  sponge  and  be  sure  to  get  it  all  off  too. 
Now  cut  out  a  piece  of  cloth  the  size  of  the  end  of 
the  box  and  cut  a  hole  in  it  the  exact  size  of  the  hole 
in  the  box.  Lay  this  on  the  end  of  the  box  with 


FlG.  948.      SAND  BLAST  APPARATUS  PUT  TOGETHER  READY  FOR  ETCHING 

the  hole  in  it,  lay  the  glass  over  it  and  fix  them  all 
together  tight  with  rubber  bands  as  shown  at  B  in  Fig. 
94,  or  tie  it  up  with  string.  The  cloth  cut-out  between 
the  box  and  glass  will  prevent  the  emery  from  sifting 
through. 

Put  the  shot  and  emery  in  the  box,  fasten  the  lid  on 
tight  and  then  shake  it  hard  up  and  down  so  that 
the  emery  and  shot  will  strike  the  surface  of  the  glass 


222  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

with  as  much  force  as  possible.  Keep  this  up  for  15 
minutes  or  half  an  hour  when  the  glass  will  be  etched 
deep  enough. 

When  you  open  the  box  you  will  find  that  the 
particles  of  emery  have  been  embedded  in  the  lead 
shot  and  each  of  the  latter  has  become  a  cutting  tool. 
This  process  of  etching  can  be  used  for  metals  as  well 
as  for  glass. 

How  to  Make  Ground  Glass. —  To  make  ground 
glass  go  about  it  as  above  described  but  in  this  case 
no  stencil  is  needed. 

The  Acid  Process. —  Hydrofluoric  acid  is  made  by 
treating  fluor-spar,97  with  sulphuric  acid.  The  acid 
which  is  thus  formed  acts  on  glass  by  eating  into  it 
and  for  this  reason  it  must  be  kept  in  either  rubber, 
lead  or  platinum  bottles  upon  which  it  has  no  effect. 
In  etching  large  surfaces  the  acid  is  not  put  on  the 
glass  directly  because  it  eats  so  smoothly  the  effect 
is  not  striking  enough;  instead  the  following  process 
is  used  which  leaves  a  rough  surface  more  nearly  like 
that  of  the  sand  blast. 

Make  a  lead  dish  the  size  of  the  glass  you  want 
to  etch  and  with  the  sides  an  inch  high.  Put  about 
an  ounce  of  powdered  flour-spar  into  the  dish  and 
pour  enough  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  on  it  to  make 
a  thick  paste. 

Coat  the  surface  of  the  glass  with  paraffin,  or  bees- 

97  Fluorspar  is  calcium  fluoride;  you  can  buy  it  of  Eimer  and 
Amend,  4th  Ave.  and  i8th  St.,  New  York,  or  of  the  L.  E.  Knott 
Apparatus  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS     223 


wax  and  rosin,  and  then  with  a  steel  scriber,  or  other 
pointed  instrument  scratch  on  your  name  or  the  de- 
sign you  intend  to  etch,  clear  through  to  the  glass. 
Lay  the  glass  with  the  waxed  side  down  on  the  dish 
containing  the  fluor-spar  mixture,  as  shown  at  A  in 
Fig.  95>  and  let  it  stand  over  night.  The  vapor  formed 


ZUBBEG 


HYDROFLUORIC 0C/D 


FLUORSP/JRffND 
SULPHURIC  0CID 


FlG.  95.      ETCHING  GLASS  WITH  ACID 

A.  Etching  a  sheet  of  glass  with  fluor-spar. 

B.  Etching  a  thermometer  tube  with  hydrofluoric  acid. 

by  generating  hydrofluoric  acid  in  this  way  attacks  the 
silica,  that  is  the  sand,  of  the  glass  with  which  it  has 
a  great  tendency  to  unite,  and  thus  the  glass  disinte- 
grates or  is  eaten  away. 

The  next  morning  when  you  take  off  the  glass, 
scrape  off  the  wax  and  you  will  find  the  name  or  de- 
sign etched  on  it. 


224  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

To  etch  the  graduations  on  thermometers,  burettes, 
etc.,  coat  them  with  wax  and  scratch  the  lines  and 
figures  on  them  just  as  described  above  —  but  in  this 
case  you  can  put  the  hydrofluoric  acid  on  direct  as 
shown  at  B,  using  a  splinter  of  wood  for  the  purpose. 

How  to  Cement  Glass. —  To  cement  glass  clean 
the  edges  or  surfaces  to  be  fixed  together  with  hot 
water  in  which  you  have  put  a  little  soda;  dry  well 
with  a  clean  cloth  and  then  be  careful  not  to  let  your 
fingers  touch  the  cleaned  parts. 

Brush  over  the  edges  or  surfaces  of  the  glass  with 
the  cement  made  according  to  the  directions  which 
follow  and  press  and  bind  the  parts  together  as  tightly 
as  possible. 

To  make  the  cement  dissolve  2  ounces  of  the  best 
gum  arable  in  some  hot  water  and  then  add  iM»  ounces 
of  pulverized  starch  and  %  ounce  of  sugar  and  stir 
until  they  are  dissolved.  Heat  the  mixture  in  a  pot  or 
a  tin  can  which  sets  in  a  larger  pot  or  tin  of  water  — 
or  water  bath  as  it  is  called. 

When  the  starch  gets  clear  take  it  from  the  fire,  put 
in  a  few  drops  of  oil  of  cloves  to  keep  the  cement 
sweet  and  let  it  get  cold,  when  it  should  be  about  as 
thick  as  cream. 

A  Simple  Way  to  Frost  Glass. —  Make  a  saturated 
solution  of  alum  water,'  which  means  to  dissolve  as 
much  alum  in  hot  water  as  possible. 

Lay  the  glass  on  a  perfectly  level  table  and  pour  on 
as  much  of  the  alum  water  as  you  can  without  its 
running  off  and  let  it  cool  slowly,  when  the  alum  will 


THE  ART  OF  WORKING  GLASS    225 

cover  the  glass  with  fine  crystals.  This  is  a  good 
substitute  for  ground  glass. 

A  cheap  frosting  for  windows  can  be  made  by  dis- 
solving Epsom  salts  in  hot  water  and  then  mixing  it 
with  a  clear  solution  of  gum  arabic. 

Substitutes  for  Glass. —  There  are  a  number  of 
substances  that  can  be  used  instead  of  glass.  In  some 
cases  a  substitute  is  better  than  glass  but  generally  they 
are  used  because  they  are  cheaper. 

Mica. —  This  mineral,  which  is  also  but  wrongly 
called  isinglass,  is  found  in  Farther  India;  it  is  a 
silicate  and  can  be  split  into  thin  sheets;  in  color  it 
ranges  from  colorless  to  a  jet  black  and  from  the 
transparent  to  the  translucent.  It  is  useful  in  many 
ways  because  it  is  fireproof. 

Gelatine. —  Gelatine  is  obtained  from  the  skins, 
hoofs  and  horns  of  animals.  Isinglass  is  a  nearly 
pure  gelatine  and  is  a  white,  tough,  partly  transparent 
substance  which  is  obtained  chiefly  from  the  air-blad- 
ders of  fish. 

To  make  sheets  of  either  gelatine,  or  isinglass,  dis- 
solve some  of  the  finest  glue,  or  isinglass  —  the  lat- 
ter is  the  best  —  in  enough  hot  water  so  that  it  will 
form  a  flexible  solid  sheet  when  it  is  cold. 

While  it  is  still  hot  strain  it  through  a  piece  of 
cheese  cloth;  this  done,  grease  a  clean  sheet  of  glass 
and  build  up  the  edges  with  some  putty;  warm  the 
glass  and  pour  on  the  gelatine  to  a  thickness  of  %  inch. 
Now  lay  another  greased  and  hot  sheet  of  glass  on  top 
of  the  gelatine  and  let  it  stay  there  until  it  is  cold. 


226  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

The  sheets  of  gelatine  can  be  given  any  color  by  add- 
ing a  little  aniline  to  the  gelatine  while  it  is  hot. 

How  to  Silver  a  Mirror. —  While  it  is  much 
cheaper  to  buy  a  mirror  than  it  is  to  make  one  still 
there  are  times  when  it  is  useful  to  know  how  to 
make  one. 

As  you  know,  a  mirror  is  a  sheet  of  clear  glass 
free  from  air  bubbles  and  upon  the  back  of  which  is  a 
film  of  silver.  The  silver  bath  is  made  by  mixing  a 
weak  solution  of  silver  nitrate  with  ammonium 
hydroxide  until  the  solution  is  clear  and  then  adding 
a  little  caustic  potash  to  it.  This  done,  put  in  a  few 
more  drops  of  ammonia  and  finally  a  very  little 
glycerine. 

Now  float  the  glass  on  this  mixture  when  the  sur- 
face will  soon  be  coated  with  silver.  When  the  film 
is  thick  enough  take  the  glass  from  the  bath,  wash 
the  film  of  silver  on  the  back  of  it  with  clean,  cold 
water,  dry  and  varnish  it  and  your  mirror  is  done. 


CHAPTER  X 
TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 

IF  there  is  as  much  pleasure  in  giving  as  there  is  in 
receiving  you  can  get  twice  as  much  pleasure  out  of 
making  toys  with  your  own  hands  and  giving  them  to 
your  little  brothers  and  sisters  —  if  you  have  any,  and 
if  you  haven't,  then  I'm  truly  sorry  for  you. 

Since  you  know  how  to  use  wood  and  metal  work- 
ing tools  it  will  be  easy  for  you  to  make  any  and  all 
of  these  toys  I  have  described  in  this  chapter  and  some 
of  them  are  quite  useful  too.  And  when  you  are 
making  them  let  the  little  folks  watch  you  for  this 
will  please  them  greatly  and  make  them  doubly  happy. 

Now  some  grown-ups  don't  know  it  but  however 
small  a  kiddie  is  he  or  she  likes  to  play  with  things 
that  look  like  those  the  older  folks  work  with.  Of 
course  all  toys  cannot  be  of  this  kind  for  some  of 
them  are  made  to  be  funny  and  others  are  made  to  be 
lifelike,  but  these  are  the  three  chief  kinds  of  toys. 

How  to  Make  a  Policeman's  Puzzle. —  Get  two 
strips  of  wood  %  inch  thick,  %  an  inch  wide  and  n 
inches  long  and  cut  handles  on  one  end  of  each  strip. 
Saw  with  your  scroll  saw  out  of  l/$  inch  thick  wood, 
two  policemen  6  inches  high  and  also  one  Baxter 
227 


228  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Street  clothier  of  Semitic  persuasion,  3  inches  high  as 
shown  in  Fig.  96. 

Pivot  the  leg  near  the  foot  of  each  policeman  to 
the  ends  of  both  of  the  strips  by  driving  a  couple  of 
brads  through  and  into  them  and  then  nail  the  Israelite 
fast  to  the  top  strip  with  a  couple  of  brads.  Now 


FIG.  96.    A  POLICEMAN'S  PUZZLE,  OR  NOW  WILL  YOU  BE  GOOD 

when  you  pull  the  strips  apart  one  of  the  long  arms 
of  the  law  will  crack  Ikey  on  the  cranium  and  when 
the  strips  are  pushed  together  again  the  other  minion 
of  authority  will  bounce  his  club  on  the  place  where 
his  brains  ought  to  be.  A  little  red  and  blue  water 
color  will  add  to  the  realism  of  the  toy. 

How  to  Make  an  Automobile  Truck. —  This  little 
toy  will  bring  a  lot  of  unalloyed  joy  to  any  tiny,  weentie 
fellow  and  it's  easy  to  make,  too. 

Cut  out  a  board  for  the  bottom  %  inch  thick,  4% 
inches  wide  and  14  inches  long;  trim  down  one  end  of  it 
so  that  it  is  2  inches  wide  in  front  as  shown  at  A 
Fig.  97.  Bore  a  /4  inch  hole  2%  inches  from  the 
front  end. 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 


229 


Saw  off  a  block  of  wood  I  inch  square  and  2% 
inches  long  —  this  is  to  brace  the  seat  with  —  and  glue 
this  block  across  the  body  6%  inches  from  the  back  as 
shown  by  the  dotted  line  in  Fig.  97.  Make  a  seat  of 
a  board  J/4  inch  thick,  i%  inches  wide  and  3%  inches 
long  and  glue  or  nail  it  to  the  block. 


TOP  view 

.FlG.  97.      PLANS  FOR  THE  AUTOMOBILE  TRUCK 

To  make  the  body  or  box,  cut  out  two  strips  of 
wood  %  inch  thick  and  make  one  2  inches  wide  and 
the  other  2%  inches  wide  and  4%  inches  long  for  the 
front  and  back,  and  two  strips  of  wood  2  inches  wide 
and  6%  inches  long  for  the  sides.  Nail  one  of  the 
short  strips  on  the  bottom  close  up  to  the  seat  and  the 
blocks  of  wood  it  rests  on  and  nail  the  side  strips  on 
the  bottom. 

Next  round  off  the  lower  edge  of  the  short  board 


23o  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

that  is  left;  set  it  in  between  the  ends  of  the  side- 
boards and  drive  a  brad  through  each  of  the  side- 
boards and  into  the  tail-board  near  the  bottom ;  this 
brings  the  tail-board  so  that  it  can  be  closed  up  or  let 
down  as  the  side  view  at  B  shows. 

Saw  off  two  %  inch  square  blocks  and  have  both  of 
them  just  a  shade  over  4%  inches  long  and  these  are 
for  the  axles.  Nail  one  fast  near  the  rear  of  the  bot- 
tom 2  inches  from  the  back  end,  and  nail  the  other 
one  fast  to  the  front  of  the  bottom  i  inch  from  the 
end. 


FlG.  97D.     THE  AUTOMOBILE  TRUCK  READY  TO  RUN 

Make  a  hood  out  of  a  block  of  wood  1^4  inches 
wide  and  long  and  2  inches  high  and  bevel  off  the  top 
as  shown  at  C ;  nail  this  to  the  bottom  in  front  as 
shown  in  the  top  and  side  views.  For  the  steering 
wheel  saw  out  a  wheel  %  inch  thick  and  i%  inches  in 
diameter. 

The  last  thing  to  do  is  to  saw  out  four  wheels  }i 
inch  thick  and  2%  inches  in  diameter;  drill  a  Vs  inch 
hole  in  the  exact  center  of  each  wheel  and  screw  it  on 
the  end  of  the  axle  with  a  i  inch  long,  round  head, 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 


231 


wood  screw.     Paint  the  .automobile  a  bright  red  when 
it  will  look  like  D  and  run  like  a  fire  engine. 

How  to  Make  a  Swell  Coaster. —  This  is  a  prac- 
tical toy  that  every  little  tot  will  like  immensely.  It 
is  just  as  simple  as  the  automobile  but  it  must  be  made 
very  much  stronger. 


BOLT. 


D- STEERING  HWPLE 


C-SIDE  VIEW  B- AXLE  SUPPORT 

FlG.  98.      PLANS  FOR  A  SWELL  COASTER 

Get  a  board,  hardwood  is  the  best,  %  or  i  inch 
thick,  5%  inches  wide  and  14  inches  long  and  saw  it 
out  so  that  one  end  is  2%  inches  wide  as  shown  at 
A  in  Fig.  98;  bore  a  hole  I  inch  in  diameter  in  the 
front  end  and  %e  inch  holes  across  the  back  at  the 
places  marked  with  circles. 

Next  make  the  rear  axle  support  and  for  this  saw 
out  of  a  i  inch  thick  board  a  piece  4  inches  wide  and 


232 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


7  inches  long  and  saw  out  of  one  end  of  it  a  piece  2 
inches  square.  Take  your  brace  and  bit  and  bore  a 
%  inch  hole  through  the  hangers  as  shown  at  B. 

Screw  this  support  to  the  seat  across  it  IL/Z  inches 
from  the  rear  end.  Brace  the  support  by  screwing  an 
angle  brace,  as  shown  in  the  side  view  C,  to  it  and  the 
seat.  This  done  make  the  steering  handle,  and  for 
it  you  want  to  use  a  stick  of  hardwood  i  inch 


FlG.    Q8E.     THE   COASTER   READY   TO  RIDE   ON 

thick,  2  inches  wide  and  15  inches  long;  saw  a  piece 
out  of  one  end  iVs  inches  wide  and  2%  inches  deep 
for  the  axle  support  for  the  front  wheel ;  saw  the  other 
end  down  until  it  is  i  inch  wide  and  6  inches  deep. 

Round  off  this  smaller  end  for  the  handle,  as  shown 
at  D,  and  bore  a  Vz  inch  hole  close  to  the  end  for  the 
handle  bar.  Slip  the  rounded  end  through  the  hole 
in  the  front  part  of  the  seat,  drive  a  nail  through  it 
just  above  the  seat  and  glue  in  a  piece  of  wood  %  an 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES          233 

inch  in  diameter  and  6  inches  long,  for  the  handle 
bar. 

Saw  out  three  wheels  each  of  which  is  4  inches  in 
diameter,  bore  a  %  inch  hole  in  the  center  of  each 
one.  Set  one  of  the  wheels  between  the  hangers  of 
the  steering  handle,  slip  a  bolt  through  them  and  screw 
on  a  nut. 

Push  a  bolt  through  each  of  the  other  wheels  and 
through  a  hanger  of  the  axle  support  and  screw  on  a 
nut,  when  the  coaster  is  ready  to  run,  as  shown  at  E. 
A  coat  of  bright  paint  will  make  it  more  attractive  but 
it  won't  run  any  better. 

How  to  Make  a  Nifty  Wheelbarrow. —  This  is  a 
cute  wheelbarrow  and  will  tickle  any  little  choptie 
'most  half  to  death  and  you  can  make  it  in  no  time. 

Get  two  sticks  of  wood  %  inch  square  and  24  inches 
long  and  round  off  one  end  of  each  one  about  3  inches 
down  for  the  handle.  Next  bore  %  inch  holes  half 
way  through  in  the  other  ends  of  the  sticks  4  inches 
back  for  the  axle;  bore  two  more  Yz  inch  holes  6% 
inches  back  of  the  first  two,  and  finally  5%  inches  back 
of  the  last  ones  bore  two  more  %  inch  holes,  as  shown 
at  A  in  Fig.  99. 

This  done  cut  off  four  sticks  %  an  inch  in  diameter 
—  or  %  inch  square  ones  will  do  —  and  make  one  of 
them  4%  inches  long;  the  next  one  6%  inches  long, 
the  third  8  inches  long,  and  the  last  one  ioH  inches 
long. 

Out  of  a  board  I  inch  thick  saw  a  wheel  5  inches  in 
diameter  and  bore  a  hole  in  its  center  %  an  inch  in 


234 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


diameter.  Smear  some  glue  on  the  middle  of  the 
shortest  stick  and  slip  the  wheel  on  it  so  that  it  is 
exactly  in  the  middle. 

Make  the  body,  that  is  the  box,  of  the  barrow  of 
wood  %  inch  thick  and  have  it  4%  inches  wide  at  one 
end,  6%  inches  wide  at  the  other  end,  5  inches  high 


C~  WHEELBARROW  COMPLETE 


6-  SIDE  VIEW 

FlG.  99,     A,  B.      PLANS  FOR  THE  NIFTY  WHEELBARROW.     C.     THE 
BARROW   READY   TO    WHEEL 

and  7  inches  long.  Through  the  middle,  but  a  little 
toward  the  back  and  near  the  upper  edge,  bore  two 
holes  a  shade  larger  than  l/>  an  inch  in  diameter  and 
slip  the  third  longest  stick  through  the  holes  in  the 
body;  drive  a  brad  through  the  stick  on  each  side  of 
the  body  to  keep  the  latter  from  slipping  from  side  to 
side,  but  it  must  swing  easily  on  the  stick. 

You  are  now  ready  to  assemble  the  wheelbarrow 
and  if  you  intend  to  paint  it  you  must  do  so  before  you 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES          235 

put  it  together.  To  assemble  it  smear  glue  on  the 
ends  of  all  the  cross-sticks,  except  the  one  with  the 
wheel  on  it  for  this  one  must  revolve,  and  drive  on 
the  handles,  being  careful  that  the  axle  of  the  wheel 
does  not  bind.  A  side  view  of  the  wheel  barrow  is 
shown  at  B. 

When  it  is  done,  see  C,  you  will  see  that  however 
high  or  low  the  handle-bars  are  held  the  body  always 
sets  level  and  if  it  is  a  good  idea  for  a  toy  why 
wouldn't  it  be  a  good  idea  for  a  full  grown  wheel- 
barrow ? 

How  to  Make  a  High-Low  Swing. —  Here  is  a 
peace  promoter  and  a  queller  of  disturbances  wher- 
ever there  are  very  little  kiddies  around.  It  is  an  in- 
door swing  that  can  be  hung  from  the  top  of  a  door- 
case. Further,  though  it  may  look  a  little  complicated 
in  the  drawing,  it  is  simplicity  itself. 

First  take  the  seat  and  for  this,  as  for  all  of  the 
wood  for  the  swing,  use  %  inch  thick  stuff.  Cut  out 
two  side  bars  I  inch  wide  and  13  inches  long  and  drill 
a  %  inch  hole  in  the  end  of  each  one.  Across  these 
bars  nail  four  cross  bars  2  inches  wide  and  14  inches 
long  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  100. 

Next  make  the  sides  of  the  swing  and  from  each  of 
these  saw  off  two  strips  i  inch  wide  and  13  inches 
long  as  shown  at  B.  Bore  a  hole  in  each  end  of  both 
sticks  to  match  the  holes  in  the  side  bars  of  the  seat 
and  then  bore  two  Yz  inch  holes  in  both  sticks  and 
have  each  hole  2%  inches  from  the  end. 

Saw  off  two  strips  of  wood  %  inch  thick  and  i  inch 


236 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


wide  for  each  side,  cut  down  and  round  the  ends, 
smear  glue  on  them  and  drive  them  into  the  cross- 
sticks.  The  backs  of  the  swing,  as  you  will  see  at  C, 
are  made  exactly  like  the  sides  except  that  they  are 
14  inches  long,  and  finally  a  single  bar  i  inch  thick 


X 

^ 

CMSS  BARS 

$ 

4 

* 

/*"    ? 

A-THESEAT                  6 

6-  THE  SIDES 


C-   FRONT  BAR 

FlG.  100.      PLANS  FOR  THE  HIGH-LOW  SWING 

'and  wide  and  14  inches  long  with  a  %  inch  hole  in 
each  end  goes  across  the  front  of  the  swing  to  keep 
the  little  fellow  from  falling  out. 

Now  get  two  pieces  of  good  %  inch  thick  manila 
rope  about  10  feet  long;  double  each  piece  in  the 
middle  and  pass  one  end  through  the  hole  in  the 
front  bar,  thence  through  two  holes  in  the  side-strips 
and  finally  through  the  hole  in  the  cross-bar  of  the 
seat  and  then  knot  it. 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 


237 


This  done  pass  the  other  end  through  the  holes  in 
the  cross-strips  of  the  back,  then  through  the  holes 
in  the  cross-strips  of  the  side  and  last  of  all  through 
the  cross-bars  of  the  seat.  Fix  the  other  piece  of  rope 
the  same  way  and  swing  is  done,  as  shown  at  D. 


FlG.   IOOD.     THE  SWING  READY  TO  SWING  LOW,  SWING  HIGH 

All  you  have  to  do  now  is  to  loop  the  top  of  the 
ropes  over  a  couple  of  hooks  screwed  into  the  top 
of  the  door-case,  put  the  little  tot  in  and  give  him  or 
her  a  swing. 

How  to  Make  a  Stick  Horse. —  This  is  a  great 
improvement  over  riding  a  broomstick  because  it 
doesn't  take  so  much  imagination  to  change  it  into  a 
runaway  horse. 

Saw  out  of  a  board  5  inches  square  the  head  of 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


a  fiery  steed  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  101  and  paint  it 
a  dapple-gray,  with  a  mane  on  its  neck  to  look  like  a 
real  pony.  Make  a  rein  of  webbing  and  then  nail 
the  head  on  a  stick  %  or  i  inch  square  and  3  feet  long 
for  the  rider  to  straddle. 

THE  HE/}  D  OF  THE  HORSZ 


THE  STICK  HORSE. 
COMPLETE 


FlG.   IOI.      RIDE  A   STICK   HORSE  TO  BANBURY  CROSS 

Make  an  axle  of  a  stick  i  inch  square  and  4  inches 
long;  whittle  the  ends  down  until  they  are  Yz  an  inch 
in  diameter  and  nail  the  axle  to  the  free  end  of  the 
long  stick.  Saw  out  a  pair  of  wheels  of  %  inch  thick 
stuff,  4  inches  in  diameter  and  bore  a  %  inch  hole 
through  their  centers. 

Slip  a  wheel  over  each  end  of  the  axle  and  drive 
a  thin  nail  through  each  end  to  prevent  the  wheels 
from  coming  off,  and  it  will  be  fit  and  ready  to  ride 
as  shown  at  B. 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES          239 

How  to  Make  a  Pony  and  Cart. —  If  this  little 
pony  and  cart  are  to  be  played  with  in  the  house  you 
can  make  it  the  size  marked  in  Fig.  102  but  if  it  is 
to  be  used  out-of-doors  then  you  should  make  it  twice 
the  size. 

Get  a  nice  smooth  board  %  an  inch  thick,  draw  on  it 
a  horse,  at  least  as  good  as  the  one  shown  in  the  pic- 
ture, and  then  saw  it  out.  Paint  it  any  color  but  red 
or  green,  for  ponies,  even  in  little  picture  books,  are 
never  of  these  colors. 

Make  a  frame  i%  inches  wide  and  4  inches  long 
by  nailing  two  strips  of  wood  %  an  inch  square  with 
a  block  of  wood  %  an  inch  square  and  I  inch  long 
between  them.  This  leaves  an  opening  %  an  inch 
wide  and  i%  inches  long  as  shown  at  A.  Saw  out 
of  a  piece  of  %  inch  thick  wood  a  wheel  I  inch  in 
diameter  and  drill  a  M.6  inch  hole  through  its  center. 
Set  the  wheel  in  the  opening  and  drive  a  wire  nail 
through  the  frame  and  the  center  of  the  wheel  for  it 
to  run  on.  This  done  nail,  glue  or  screw  the  horse 
to  it  as  shown  at  B. 

Make  the  cart  next,  see  C,  which  is  simply  a  box 
made  of  %  or  %  inch  stuff,  3  inches  high,  4  inches 
wide  and  6  inches  long.  Nail  a  strip  of  wood  %  an 
inch  square  and  4%  inches  long  on  the  bottom  and  in 
the  middle  of  it.  Saw  out  a  pair  of  wheels  2%  inches 
in  diameter  and  screw  them  to  the  ends  of  the  strip 
of  wood  so  that  they  can  turn  freely. 

Next  make  the  shafts;  these  are  formed  of  two 
strips  of  wood  %  inch  thick  and  about  5%  inches  long. 


240 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


Nail  the  ends  of  these  to  the  front  end  of  the  cart  in 
the  middle  and  at  a  distance  apart  so  that  the  horse 
will  just  slip  in  between  them. 


CART 


FlG.  lOQ  A,  B.      PLANS  FOR  A  PONY  AND  CART.     C.      THE  PONY  AND 
CART  WHEN  DONE 

Glue,  or  otherwise  fasten  the  shafts  to  the  horse, 
as  shown  at  D,  and  you  can  then  show  your  little 
brother  how  to  play  with  it,  but  don't  break  it  before 
you  give  him  a  chance  to  play  with  it  too.  The 
finished  pony  and  cart  will  then  look  like  the  picture. 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 


241 


How  to  Make  a  Life-like  Goose. — Nearly  all 
geese,  including  goslings,  are  lifelike  unless  they  are 
being  made  ready  for  the  pot  but  this  gray-goose  is 
lifelike  in  that  her  head  moves  out  from  and  back 
toward  her  body  when  she  is  drawn  over  the  floor  by  a 
string. 

Get  two  pieces  of  thin  wood  %  inch  thick,  3%  inches 
wide  and  6  inches  long;  draw  the  outline  of  a  goose's 


FlG.  IO3.      HOW  THE  LIFE-LIKE  GOOSE  IS  MADE 

A.  The  size  of  the  board  for  the  body. 

B.  The  size  of  the  board  for  the  head  and  neck. 

C.  The  crank  shaft  which  makes  the  goose  life-like. 

body  on  one  of  them,  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  103,  and 
then  fasten  them  together  with  a  couple  of  brads. 
Saw  them  out  and  drill  a  Me  inch  hole  through  them 
in  the  center  of  the  circle  which  is  the  wheel;  also 
drill,  or  bore,  three  %  inch  holes  at  the  points  near 
the  edge  of  the  body  as  shown  by  the  larger  circles. 


242  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

On  a  board  %  inch  thick,  2%  inches  wide  and  5% 
inches  long  draw  out  the  head  and  the  neck  of  a 
goose,  as  shown  at  B,  saw  it  out  and  drill  a  KG  inch 
hole  near  the  end  of  its  neck.  Now  paint  the  bird's 
body  and  the  anterior  part  of  its  anatomy  —  by  which 
I  mean  its  head  and  neck.  Saw  out  two  wooden 
wheels  2  inches  in  diameter  and  drill  a  Ke  hole  in 
the  center  of  each  one. 

Cut  off  a  piece  of  iron  wire  KG  inch  thick,  slip  it 
through  the  hole  in  the  goose's  neck  and  bend  the 
wire  on  both  sides  of  it  to  form  a  crankshaft  as  shown 
at  C.  The  next  move  is  to  put  each  end  of  the 
wire  through  the  small  hole  in  the  body,  then  force  a 
wheel  on  each  end  of  the  wire  tight  and  bend  up  what 
is  left  of  the  latter. 


FlG.    IO3C.      GOOSIE,    GOOSIE    GANDER,    WHERE    SHALL    I    WANDER 


Make  three  pins  of  wood  %  inch  in  diameter  and 
%  inch  long;  smear  some  glue  on  the  ends  and  drive 
them  gently  through  the  holes;  these  pins  will  keep 
the  boards  which  form  the  body  the  right  distance 
apart  and  the  pins  in  front  also  act  as  a  guide  for  the 
goose's  head.  When  finished  it  will  look  like  C. 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES          243 

Now  when  a  string  is  tied  to  the  front  part  of  the 
goose's  body  and  your  little  sister  (or  you)  pulls  it 
over  the  floor,  the  goose  will  run  its  head  to  and  fro 
and  forth  and  back  in  a  most  real  and  life-like  fashion. 
How  to  Make  a  Dancing  Sambo. — Here  is  a 
chance  for  you  to  get  in  your  fine  work  with  your 
scroll  saw  and  to  do  a  bit  of  wood  carving  at  the  same 
time  if  you  want  to. 


FlG.  IO4A.      THE  DANCING  SAMBO 

Saw  out,  or  carve  out,  or  both,  the  head  and  body 
of  a  black  rascal  named  Sambo,  and  make  them  of 
a  single  piece  of  wood;  saw  out  a  pair  of  arms  and 
legs  but  make  each  one  of  the  latter  in  two  parts  and 
joint  them  at  the  knees  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  104. 

Fasten  the  arms  and  legs  to  the  body  with  pins  so 
that  they  will  swing  freely.  The  figure  should  be 
about  6  inches  high  and  painted  in  3  or  4  bright  colors. 
When  you  have  it  done  fix  the  end  of  a  wire  M.6  inch 
in  diameter  and  5  inches  long,  firmly  into  the  back  of 
Sambo's  body. 


244 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


Make  a  box  3  inches  wide,  3  inches  high  and  6 
inches  long;  bore  or  cut  a  hole  %  inch  in  diameter  in 
one  end;  turn  it  upside  down  and  drill  a  Vie  hole 
through  the  middle  of  the  top  and  drill  a  %e  inch 
hole  through  both  sides  2  inches  back  from  the  large 
hole  in  it  as  shown  at  B. 

s  S&*     /HOL£/NTOf> 

OF BOX 

-HOLE  It* 

sr/e/p 


FlG.    IO4B.     THE   MECHANISM   OF  THE  DANCING  SAMBO 

Cut  off  a  strip  of  wood  %  an  inch  square  and  as 
long  as  the  box  is  wide,  drill  a  He  inch  hole  through 
it  and  glue  it  inside  the  box  so  that  the  hole  in  the 
strip  and  the  one  in  the  top  of  the  box  will  be  in  a 
line. 

Now  cut  off  a  strip  of  hardwood  %  inch  thick  and 
3l/2  inches  long  for  the  lever  and  drill  a  Me  inch  hole 
through  it  2  inches  from  one  end ;  slip  the  lever 
through  the  hole  in  the  end  of  the  box  with  its  end 
under  the  cross-bar;  pivot  the  lever  by  running  a  wire 
through  the  hole  in  it  and  the  sides  of  the  box  as 
shown  at  B. 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES          245 

Slip  the  wire  which  is  fixed  to  Sambo  through  the 
hole  in  the  top  of  the  box  and  on  down  through  the 
hole  in  the  cross-bar  so  that  its  free  end  rests  on  the 
end  of  the  lever.  This  is  all  there  is  to  the  working 
mechanism  of  Sambo. 

By  working  the  end  of  the  lever  with  your  fingers 
as  though  you  were  sending  a  telegraph  message,  as 
shown  at  A,  the  small  time  Ethiopian  will  execute  all 
sorts  of  fancy  dance  steps  and  cut  up  antics  that  will 
keep  the  children,  and  the  grown-ups  too,  in  great 
good  humor  for  a  long  time. 

By  working  the  lever  cleverly  you  can  give  the 
darkey  distinctive  characteristics  that  not  even  a  mem- 
ber of  his  own  race  ever  possessed. 


FlG.    IO5A.     THE    WIRELESS    PUP.     THE    SLOT   IN    THE   FLOOR   OB   THE 
DOG  HOUSE 

How  to  Make  a  Wireless  Pup. —  This  is  a  most 
remarkable  bull-pup  for  he  will  jump  out  of  the  kennel 
when  you  or  any  one  else  calls  him,  when  you  clap  your 


246 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


hands  or  on  any  other  occasion  when  a  loud  noise  is 
made. 

Always  make  a  dog-house  for  a  pup  before  you 
catch  him  so  that  when  he  gets  home  he'll  know  he's 
there.  Use  smooth  %  inch  thick  pine  boards  for  the 
house  and  cut  out  a  piece  7  inches  wide  and  8  inches 


•«, 

\ 
I 

re               •                      f"         -          ••"  '       *] 

o          BACK 

FlG.   I05B.      THE  BACK  END  OF  THE  DOG   HOUSE 

long  for  the  floor.  Cut  a  slot  clear  through  the  board 
i%  inches  from  one  end  and  parallel  with  the  edge  of 
the  back  and  have  it  %  an  inch  wide  and  i%  inches 
long;  then  on  each  end  of  the  slot  cut  a  groove  %  an 
inch  long  and  %  inch  deep  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  105. 
Cut  out  two  pieces  for  the  sides  of  the  house  4 
inches  wide  and  8  inches  long  and  screw  them  to  the 
floor.  Now  bevel  off  the  top  edges  of  the  sides  with 
a  plane  to  allow  for  the  slope  of  the  roof  but  before 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 


247 


you  put  it  on  you  must  install  the  wireless  apparatus 
that  makes  the  pup  jump  out  of  the  dog-house.  Make 
a  back  out  of  a  board  7  inches  square  as  shown  at  B. 

This  apparatus  consists  of  five  chief  parts  and  these 
are  (i)  a  spanker;  (2)  a  solenoid;  (3)  a  stiff  piece  of 
clock-spring;  (4)  a  telephone  transmitter  and  (5)  two 
or  three  cells  of  dry  battery. 

The  spanker,  so  called  because  it  spanks  the  pup  out 

TIN  BACK 


TIN  CON  - 

JflCT  STRIP 


^> 


§ 


|\  CONTACT 
PLATS 


FlG.    IO5C.      THE   SPANKER    WITH    ELECTRIC    SOLENOID   CONTROL 

of  his  kennel,  is  shown  at  C ;  it  is  simply  a  strip  of 
wood  Y»  inch  thick,  I  inch  wide  and  3%  inches  long. 
Tack,  or  otherwise  fix,  a  piece  of  tin  to  one  side  of  it 
to  form  an  electrical  contact ;  cut  a  %  inch  hole  in  the 
middle  of  it  and  then  drive  a  brad  in  each  edge  near 
one  end.  The  spanker  sets  in  the  slot  in  the  floor  and 
the  brads  rest  in  the  grooves  and  serve  as  pivots. 
A  solenoid  is  merely  an  electromagnet  with  a  loose 


248 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


iron  core  in  it.  Make  a  cardboard  spool  1*4  inches 
long  and  i%  inches  in  diameter  and  have  the  hole  in 
it  %e  inch  in  diameter;  wind  it  full  of  No.  20  or  22 
double  cotton  covered  magnet  wire  and  your  solenoid 
is  done.  An  iron  bolt  %  inch  in  diameter  and  iK 
inches  long  makes  a  good  plunger,  as  the  loose  iron 


FlG.    I05D.     CROSS    SECTION    SIDE  VIEW  OF  THE  WIRELESS   PUP  READY 
FOR  ACTION 

core  is  called.  Slip  it  through  the  hole  in  the  spanker 
and  screw  the  solenoid  to  the  inside  of  the  back  of  the 
house  as  shown  in  the  cross  section  drawing  at  D. 

Make  a  contact  plate  of  a  strip  of  tin  or  sheet  brass 
and  screw  this  to  the  floor  back  of  the  spanker  so  that 
when  the  plunger  is  drawn  into  the  solenoid  and  the 
spanker  is  back  as  far  as  it  will  go  the  plate  will  come 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES 


249 


in  contact  with  the  tin  on  the  spanker.  Put  a  stop  in 
front  of  the  spanker  to  prevent  the  latter  from  falling 
too  far  forward. 

Next  get  a  strong,  stiff  piece  of  clock-spring,  punch 
two  holes  in  one  end  and  screw  it  to  the  back  of  the 
house  near  the  top,  with  the  free  end  of  the  spring 
pressing  out  the  spanker.  Fasten  by  means  of  hang- 


ar    FRONT 

FlG.    IO5E.     THE   FRONT  END  VIEW   OF   THE   WIRELESS   PUP 
HOUSE 

ers,  or  otherwise,  an  ordinary  telephone  transmitter  to 
the  roof  of  the  house  as  shown  at  D.  Now  make 
the  front  of  the  house  and  cut  a  4x5  opening  in  it 
for  the  pup  to  get  in  and  out,  and  a  hole  i%  inches  in 
diameter,  as  shown  at  E,  so  that  when  you  put  the 
front  on,  the  hole  will  be  directly  over  the  mouth- 
piece of  the  transmitter. 


250  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Before  putting  on  the  front  connect  up  the  appar- 
atus as  shown  at  D,  that  is,  connect  one  of  the  wires 
of  the  transmitter  to  the  contact  plate;  join  the  other 
wire  of  the  transmitter  to  the  battery;  lead  one  of  the 
wires  of  the  solenoid  to  the  tin  on  the  spanker.  When 
these  connections  are  made  the  circuit  will  be  com- 


FlG.  IO5F.      WHEN  YOU  CALL  THE  WIRELESS  PUP  OR  CLAP  YOUR  HANDS 
HE  COMES  OUT  OF  HIS  DOG  HOUSE  IN  A  HURRY 

plete  if  a  battery  is  connected  in  and  the  spanker  is 
pushed  back.  Now  put  on  the  front  of  the  house 
and  then  make  the  pup. 

Saw  the  body  of  the  pup  and  his  legs  out  of  separate 
pieces  of  wood  and  glue  them  together.  He  should 
be  2%  inches  high  and  5  inches  long  when  done  and 
he  must  slide  easily  on  the  floor.  See  F,  Fig.  105. 


TOYS  FOR  THE  KIDDIES          251 

The  action  of  the  wireless  pup  is  like  this:  You 
push  the  pup  into  the  house  and  back  against  the 
spanker  as  far  as  he  will  go;  this  presses  the  spring 
back  and  at  the  same  time  makes  connection  with  the 
contact  plate  which  closes  the  circuit. 

The  current  from  the  battery  then  flows  through  the 
solenoid  and  transmitter  and  this  magnetizes  the  iron 
plunger  core  and  holds  the  spanker  back  against  the 
force  of  the  spring. 

If  now  you  call  loudly,  or  clap  your  hands,  the 
carbon  granules  in  the  transmitter  will  vibrate  and 
this  will  suddenly  weaken  the  current,  and,  hence,  the 
magnetism  of  the  solenoid.  The  instant  the  magnetic 
pull  of  the  solenoid  is  weaker  than  the  spring  the  latter 
will  force  the  spanker  against  the  posterior  end  of  the 
pup's  anatomy  and  boost  him  out  of  his  kennel. 


CHAPTER  XI 
HOME  MADE  MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 

THERE  is  music  in  everything  if  you  only  know  how 
to  get  it  out  without  cracking  it.  When  a  small  boy 
beats  a  pie-pan  with  a  stick,  or  drums  on  a  wooden 
fence  he  is  making  music,  only  the  neighbors  won't 
believe  it. 

This  is  because  he  sets  up  the  same  note  in  succes- 
sion and  after  a  while  the  constant  repetition  of  this 
single  note  gets  on  a  grown-up's  nerves,  especially  if 
he  is  writing  a  book;  hence  he  thinks  the  sounds  are 
noise  but  it  is  really  music  of  a  bombastic  98  order. 

By  this  I  mean  that  what  we  call  noise  is  sound  set 
up  by  uneven  air  waves  "  in  time  and  volume  while 
music  is  made  by  a  tone,  or  tones,  of  even  air  waves. 
Any  musical  instrument  that  produces  sound  by  shock, 
or  concussion  as  it  is  called,  is  said  to  be  bombastic. 

When  a  bombastic  instrument  is  played  alone  the 
sounds  set  up  by  it  are  not  very  sweet  or  musical  but  if 
you  will  use  a  set  of  eight  of  them,  or  octave  as  it  is 

98  The  gong,  drum,  bell,  and  cymbals  all  set  up  sound  by  con- 
cussion and  these  are  called  bombastic  instruments. 

99  For  the  theory  of  air  waves  and  sound  see  The  Magic  of 
Science  by  the  present  author,  published  by  Fleming  H.  Revell 
and  Co.,  New  York. 

252 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS  253 

called,  and  tune  them  so  that  the  pitch  —  which  is  the 
number  of  air  waves  that  are  produced  and  heard  in 
a  second  of  time  —  of  each  one  is  a  note  higher  than 
the  one  before  it  and  then  make  first  one  and  the  other 
vibrate  you  will  produce  pleasing  tones,  and  by  com- 
bining these  tones  properly  you  will  have  a  resemblance 
of  what  we  call  music. 

The  Musical  Coins. —  How  to  Make  Them. —  A 
simple  and  very  pleasing  way  to  show  that  there  is 
music  even  in  cold  brass  is  to  take  a  piece  of  sheet 
brass,  or,  better,  sheet  steel,  about  KG  inch  thick  and 
scribe  on  it  with  a  pair  of  compasses  eight  circles 

1"ose  diameters  range  from  2  inches  to  3  inches. 

—     3"     >, 


FlG.    I06A.      THE   MUSICAL  COIN 

Saw  them  out  and  file  them  down  so  that  each  one 
will  ring  out  a  whole  number,  as  it  is  called  in  physics ; 
that  is,  if  the  largest  and  deepest  toned  coin,  or  disk, 
makes  250  vibrations  a  second,  the  next  one  must  make 
500  vibrations  a  second,  the  next  750  and  so  on 
until  the  smallest  and  highest  pitched  coin  will  make 
2000  vibrations  a  second. 


254  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

When  each  coin  rings  out  its  whole  number,  or 
nearly  so,  you  will  have  what  is  known  as  a  harmonic 
series.  Now  saw  notches  in  the  edges  of  each  one 
as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  106  and  then  file  them  until  the 
tone  of  each  one  is  just  right. 

How  to  Play  Them. —  To  play  a  tune  with  the 
musical  coins  spin  them  on  the  top  of  a  table  —  a 


FlG.  IO6B.      HOW  TO  HOLD  THE  MUSICAL  COIN  TO  SPIN  IT 

marble  top  table  is  the  best  —  and  as  each  coin  dies 
down  10°  and  its  edge  strikes  progressively  against  the 
surface  of  the  table  it  will  ring  out  in  a  clear,  loud 
tone. 

The  coins  should  be  laid  in  a  row  on  the  table  and 

100  if  yOU  wjn  look  closely  at  the  spinning  coin  you  will  see 
that  when  it  spins  fast  at  first  the  axis  about  which  it  rotates  is 
its  diameter  and  that  the  coin  stands  upright.  As  the  coin  com- 
mences to  die  down  the  axis  about  which  it  spins  gradually  begins 
to  shift  from  the  diameter  to  the  center  of  the  coin  until  finally 
at  the  finish  the  coin  is  spinning  directly  about  its  center.  This 
motion  is  the  same  as  the  processional  motion  of  the  earth. 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 


255 


whatever  note  you  want  to  ring  out  pick  up  the  coin 
which  will  produce  it,  hold  it  as  shown  at  B,  and  give 
it  a  little  spin.  You  can  soon  learn  to  spin  them  with 
either  hand  and  keep  two  or  more  of  them  going  at 
the  same  time,  when  you  will  have  that  agreeable 
combination  of  tones  that  is  known  in  music  as  har- 
mony. 

The  musical  coins  are  easy  to  learn  to  play  and  at 
a  little  distance  off  they  look  like  real  coins  and  are 
a  very  pleasing  novelty. 

The  Musical  Tomato  Cans. —  How  to  Make 
Them. —  The  musical  tomato  cans  make  a  bombastic 
instrument  —  very  bombastic  I  should  say.  Be  that 


MALLET 


FELT- 


FlG.  IO7.     THE  CHOPIN  TOMATO  CAN 

as  it  may,  get  eight  tomato  cans,  soak  the  labels  off 
carefully  and  keep  them.  Next  melt  off  the  tops  of 
the  cans  and  paste  the  labels  on  them  again.  Set  each 
can  on  a  piece  of  felt  as  shown  in  Fig.  107. 

Now  by  pouring  water  in  the  cans  you  can  tune 


256  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

them  so  that  each  one  will  send  forth  a  whole  number 
note  and  all  of  them  together  will  give  the  notes  in  the 
regular  order  of  an  octave.  You  do  not  need  to  put 
any  water  in  the  first  can  but  use  this  one  for  the  fun- 
damental note,  that  is  the  note  on  which  the  chord  is 
formed. 

Make  a  couple  of  mallets,  as  the  sticks  to  beat  the 
cans  with  are  called,  of  a  pair  of  sticks  about  as  thick 
as  a  lead-pencil  and  twice  as  long  and  glue  a  wooden 
ball  %  inch  in  diameter  on  one  end  of  each  one. 

To  Play  the  Tomato  Cans. —  When  you  have  tuned 
the  cans  set  them  in  a  row  on  a  piece  of  felt,  or  a 
couple  of  thicknesses  of  thick  woolen  cloth  will  do, 
and  with  a  mallet  in  each  hand  tap  them  softly. 

While  some  folks  who  have  no  ear  for  melody, 
harmony  and  dissonance  101  may  say  that  both  the  in- 
strument and  the  performer  ought  to  be  canned  still 
the  instrument  is  a  great  one  to  play  Chopin's 102 
funeral  dirge 103  on.  Undertakers  are  crazy  about 
the  musical  tomato  cans. 

The  Musical  Glasses. —  How  to  Make  Them. — 
Different  from  the  tomato  cans,  the  musical  glasses 
make  about  the  sweetest  music  ever  heard.  To  make 
a  set  get  eight  very  thin  glass  goblets  and  mount  them 
on  a  board  12  inches  wide  and  2  feet  long.  An  easy 
way  to  do  this  is  to  fasten  the  foot  of  each  goblet  down 

101  These  are  the  three  chief  factors  that  make  up  the  various 
combinations  of  tones  which  we  call  music. 

102  Chopin  (pronounced  Sho'-pan)   was  a  Polish  musical  com- 
poser. 

103  A  dirge  is  a  tune  expressing  grief  and  mourning. 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS  257 

with  a  couple  of  thin  strips  of  tin  or  brass  placed 
across  it  and  screwing  the  ends  of  these  to  the  board 
as  shown  in  Fig.  108. 

To  tune  the  glasses  pour  water  in  them  until  each 
has  exactly  the  right  pitch  and  together  they  form  an 
octave.  When  you  have  learned  to  play  simple  tunes 
on  an  octave  of  musical  glasses  you  can  build  up  the 
set  to  22  glasses  or  three  octaves,  which  will  give  you 
enough  notes  to  play  almost  any  of  the  popular  airs. 


FlG.    I08.      THE    MUSICAL    GLASSES 

How  to  Play  the  Glasses. —  Before  starting  in  to 
play  moisten  the  rims  of  the  glasses  and  rub  your 
fingers  with  water  in  which  you  have  put  some  vinegar, 
or  better,  a  little  acetic  octrf,104  until  they  feel  quite 
rough. 

Now  when  you  lay  the  tips  of  your  fingers  flat  on 
the  rim  of  a  glass  and  rub  them  around  it,  the  friction 
between  the  skin  of  your  roughened  fingers  and  the 
edge  of  the  glass  will  set  the  latter  into  vibration  and 
a  wonderfully  sweet  tone  will  be  sent  out.  By  varying 
the  pressure  of  your  fingers  on  the  glasses  you  can  pro- 
duce a  very  beautiful  tremolo  effect. 

10*This  is  the  acid  contained  in  vinegar  that  gives  it  its  value. 


258 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


It  is  a  good  scheme  to  put  a  few  drops  of  acetic  acid 
into  each  goblet  so  that  just  as  quickly  as  the  volume 
of  sound  begins  to  fall  off  you  can  dip  your  finger 
tips  into  whatever  glass  they  are  nearest  to  and  so  in- 
crease the  friction  between  them  and  the  glass. 

If  you  can  play  a  set  of  musical  glasses  well  your 
services  will  be  in  demand  for  all  kinds  of  entertain- 
ments. 

The  Tubular  Harp.— How  to  Make  It.—  This 
easily  made  instrument  gives  out  tones  very  much  like 
those  of  the  musical  glasses  but  they  are  much  deeper 
and  louder. 


6 


FlG.    IO9  A,   B.     THE  HARP  OF  A  THOUSAND  THRILLS 

To  make  this  harp  you  will  need  12  feet  of  %  inch 
bell-metal 105  tube  —  brass  tube  will  do  but  it  is  not  as 
good  —  and  cut  it  into  eight  pieces;  saw  off  the  first 

105  Brass  and  bell  metal  tubing  can  be  bought  of  the  U.  T. 
Hungerford  Brass  &  Copper  Co.,  89  Lafayette  St.,  New  York. 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 


259 


tube  2.  feet  long  and  cut  off  each  of  the  other  pieces 
%  an  inch  shorter  than  the  one  before  it.  Cylindrical 
sticks  of  wood  can  also  be  used  for  the  tubes. 

Get  two  strips  of  wood  i  inch  square  and  3  feet 
long  and  screw  them  together  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig. 
109  with  a  couple  of  thumb  screws;  this  done  bore 
eight  %  inch  holes  in  the  sticks  every  4  inches  apart 
and  smooth  them  out  with  a  half-round  file. 

Glue  a  strip  of  cloth  on  the  side  of  each  strip  that 
is  bored  out,  set  each  tube  with  the  middle  in  the 
groove  so  that  they  grow  shorter  in  steps  and  screw 
the  strips  together  tight  with  the  thumb  screws  to 
hold  the  tubes  in  securely  as  shown  at  B. 


FlG.    IOQC.      HOW   TO  PLAY  THE   HARP 

To  tune  the  tubes  saw  off  and  file  off  the  end  of 
each  tube  until  it  gives  forth  the  proper  note.  When 
you  have  tuned  them  make  a  stand  to  hold  the  instru- 


260  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

ment  and  this  can  be  of  either  wood,  or  metal  tubing 
if  you  want  the  harp  to  look  nice  and  you  don't  care 
about  the  expense.  The  harp  is  shown  complete  at  C. 

How  to  Play  the  Harp. —  When  you  have  made  the 
stand  get  a  pair  of  old  gloves  and  cut  off  the  fingers; 
powder  some  rosin  and  rub  it  well  into  the  palms  of 
the  gloves. 

This  done,  put  on  the  gloves,  grip  the  top  of  the 
tube  and  draw  your  hand  slowly  down  toward  the 
sounding  board,  as  shown  at  C,  and  a  beautiful  tone 
will  be  emitted.  Not  only  does  the  tube  vibrate  to 
make  the  sound  but  as  it  is  hollow  it  acts  as  a  resona- 
tor, that  is,  the  sound  will  set  up  smypathetic  vibra- 
tions in  the  tube  which  will  reen  force  the  simple  vibra- 
tions of  the  tube  both  in  strength  and  quality. 

By  waving  your  finger  over  the  top  of  the  tube 
while  you  are  playing  it  with  the  other  hand  a  tremolo 
effect  can  be  produced  that  is  very  beautiful  and  if 
you  are  versatile  you  can  make  it  sound  almost  like  a 
human  voice. 

The  Musical  Push  Pipe. —  Hozu  to  Make  It — 
This  musical  instrument  is  an  organ  pipe  but  it  is 
played  like  a  slide  trombone,  that  is  by  pushing  in  and 
pulling  out  a  slide  that  fits  inside  of  it. 

Spruce  is  the  best  wood  to  make  the  organ  pipe  of 
but  you  can  use  any  other  kind  you  have  at  hand. 
Saw  off  four  strips  of  wood  %  inch  thick  and  16  inches 
long  and  have  two  of  them  3  inches  wide  and  the 
other  two  2%  inches  wide,  as  shown  in  Fig.  no.  Saw 
off  one  of  the  3  inch  wide  boards  so  that  it  will  be 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 


261 


12%  inches  long  and  plane  down  one  end  to  a  sharp 
edge  as  shown  at  B. 

Take  another  board  H  an  inch  thick  and  make  it 
2%  inches  high  and  3  inches  wide  as  shown  at  D. 
Cut  out  a  board  for  the  end  %  inch  thick,  2%  inches 
wide  and  2%  inches  long  and  bore  a  %  inch  hole  in  it 
as  shown  at  E. 


FlG.    1 10.      PARTS   OF   A    MUSICAL   PUSH    PIPE 

As  you  supply  this  pipe  with  air  by  blowing  in  it, 
take  a  common  thread  spool  and  trim  down  one  end 
of  it  as  shown  at  F  so  that  you  can  get  it  into  your 
mouth;  then  glue  the  large  end  over  the  hole  in  the 
bottom  board.  Next  glue  the  sides  together  to  form 
a  square  tube  and  make  and  glue  into  the  lower  end  a 


262  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

three-cornered  piece  of  wood  2  inches  wide,  3  inches 
high  and  2%  inches  thick  as  shown  at  G.  This  will 
bring  one  of  its  sharp  edges  just  under  and  very  close 
to  the  sharp  edge  of  the  short  side  of  the  pipe. 

Glue  the  thick  piece  of  wood  shown  at  D  to  the 
lower  end  of  the  pipe  so  that  it  leaves  a  /4  inch  space 
between  its  top  edge  and  the  sharp  edge  of  the  short 
side  of  the  pipe.  Finally  glue  the  mouthpiece  in  the 
lower  end  of  the  tube  and  this  part  of  the  push  pipe  is 
done. 

If  now  you  will  place  your  hand  over  the  open  top 
of  the  pipe  and  blow  through  the  mouthpiece,  a  soft 
note  like  that  of  a  steamboat  whistle  will  issue  from 
it.  To  play  a  tune  on  the  pipe  it  must  have  a  range 
of  an  octave  but  if  it  will  sound  an  octave  and  a  half 
you  can  play  many  of  the  popular  airs  on  it. 

To  do  this  fit  the  organ  pipe  with  a  movable  stop, 
or  push,  which  slides  in  and  out  of  the  pipe.  Make 
this  push  of  two  strips  of  %  inch  thick  wood,  2% 
inches  wide  and  12  inches  long;  screw  one  end  of  each 
of  these  boards  to  a  block  of  wood  the  size  of  the 
top  of  the  organ  pipe  and  screw  a  knob  —  the  head 
of  a  clothespin  will  do  —  on  it  in  the  center  for  a 
handle.  The  stop,  or  slide,  will  of  course  be  open 
on  two  sides  and  must  slip  snugly  but  easily  in  the 
pipe. 

To  Play  the  Push  Pipe, —  If  now  you  will  blow 
through  the  mouthpiece  and  slide  the  stop  in  and  out 
various  tones  and  semi-tones  will  be  produced.  It  takes 
very  little  practice  to  learn  just  where  to  stop  the  slide 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS  263 

to  make  a  given  note  —  that  is  if  you  are  at  all  apt  in 
playing  musical  instruments.  A  push  pipe  106  is  just 
the  thing  for  a  black-face  musical  act. 


FlG.  I IOJ.      HOW  THE  PUSH  PIPE  IS  PLAYED 

The  Curious  Xylophone. —  How  to  Make  It. — 
This  instrument,  which  is  pronounced  zil-o-fon',  is 
cheap  to  make  or  buy  107  and  is  easy  to  learn  to  play. 

To  make  one  cut  off  fifteen  bars  of  a  stick  of  maple 
%  an  inch  thick,  %  inch  wide  and  make  the  longest  one 
5  inches.  To  get  the  right  lengths  of  all  the  others 
you  will  have  to  saw  them  off  a  little  at  a  time  and 
try  them  out  for  tone,  because  any  variation  in  thick- 
ness will  make  a  difference  in  the  length  of  them. 
Hence  the  above  rule-of -thumb  method  for  determin- 
ing the  sizes  of  them. 

Drill  a  Me  inch  hole  through  both  ends  of  each  bar 

io«  A  push  pipe  can  be  bought  for  $4.00  of  the  L.  E.  Knott 
Apparatus  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

107  Can  be  bought  of  any  dealer  in  musical  instruments  or  of 
the  L.  E.  Knott  Co.,  Boston. 


264  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

and  string  them  on  a  wire  to  keep  them  in  place. 
Make  two  rolls  of  straw  %  inch  in  diameter  and  20 
inches  long;  fix  the  ends  of  these  rolls  on  a  board  as 
shown  in  Fig.  in  and  lay  the  maple  bars  on  them 
when  they  are  ready  to  be  played  on. 

How  to  Play  the  Xylophone. —  The  xylophone  is 
played  with  a  pair  of  hammers.  To  make  the  latter 
cut  off  two  sticks  %  inch  in  diameter  and  8  inches  long ; 
get  or  turn  two  wooden  balls  i  inch  in  diameter;  bore 
a  %  inch  hole  in  each  one  and  glue  in  one  of  the 
sticks. 


FlG.    III.      AN    XYLOPHONE.      THE  BARS   ARE   MADE  OF  WOOD 

Take  a  hammer  in  each  hand  and  hold  it  loosely; 
stand  over  the  xylophone  so  that  the  sticks  of  the 
hammers  are  parallel  with  and  about  6  inches  above 
the  bars  of  the  xylophone  and  with  the  ball  ends  in 
the  middle  of  the  bar  it  is  over.  Now  pound  the  bars 
for  dear  life  and  the  faster  the  tune  the  more  musical 
it  will  sound.  For  this  reason  pieces  like  the  Circus 
Life  Gallop  are  especially  adapted  for  the  xylophone. 

The  Peculiar  Tubaphone. —  How  to  Make  It. — 
By  using  brass  tubes,  or  better,  tubes  made  of  bell 
metal,  you  can  have  a  xylophone  of  another  order. 
Use  tubing  %  inch  in  diameter  and  have  the  first  one 
5  inches  long  for  the  fundamental. 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS  265 

Keep  on  sawing  them  off  and  filing  them  down  un- 
til you  have  them  all  done  and  all  in  tune.  Make  a 
wooden  frame  oi  l/2  inch  stuff  and  have  the  bottom  2 
inches  wide  at  one  end,  4  inches  wide  at  the  other  end 
and  17  inches  long. 


FlG.    112.      A    TUBAPHONE.      THE    BARS    ARE    MADE    OF    METAL   TUBES 

Saw  off  two  strips  of  wood  %  an  inch  thick,  i  inch 
wide  and  17  inches  long.  Bore  fifteen  %  inch  holes 
i  inch  apart  measured  from  their  centers  in  them ; 
glue  a  strip  of  felt  or  thick  cloth  to  the  wood  in  each 
one  and  slip  the  tubes  in  the  felt  lined  holes  as  shown 
in  Fig.  112. 

How  to  Play  the  Tubaphone. —  To  play  this  peculiar 
instrument  use  a  couple  of  felt  covered  mallets;  these 
can  be  made  by  winding  a  little  ball  of  string  around 
one  end  of  each  stick  which  should  be  about  %  inch 
in  diameter  and  8  inches  long,  and  then  covering  it 
with  felt.  Beat  the  tubes  with  the  felt  mallets  in 
exactly  the  same  way  you  do  when  you  play  the  xylo- 
phone. 

The  Cathedral  Chimes. —  How  to  Make  Them. — 
This  is  one  of  the  easiest  musical  instruments  to  make 
and  the  music  produced  by  it  is  impressive  in  its  tone 
and  depth. 


266 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


To  make  it  saw  off  a  board,  %  or  %  inch  thick, 
about  12  inches  wide  and  22  inches  long  and  screw 
a  block  i  inch  square  to  each  corner  for  it  to  rest  on. 
Get  eight  binding  posts  108  of  the  size  shown  at  A  in 
Fig.  113;  drill  eight  %  inch  holes  in  the  board,  4  in  a 


FlG.    113.      THE  CATHEDRAL  CHIMES 

A.  A  full  sized  binding  post. 

B.  The  chimes  on  the  sounding  board. 

row  with  the  holes  5  inches  apart  and  have  the  rows 
also  5  inches  apart,  and  then  screw  a  binding  post  into 
each  hole. 

Make  eight  spirals  of  No.  14  spring  brass,  steel  or, 
better,  phosphor-bronze  109  wire;  you  can  do  this  by 

108  These  can  be  bought  of  the  Manhattan  Electrical  Supply 
Co.,  Park  Place,  New  York  City. 

109  Get  it  of  the  U.   T.  Hungerford   Brass  and   Copper  Co., 
Hungerford  Building,  New  York. 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS  267 

cutting  off  eight  pieces  of  the  wire  each  of  which  is 
20  inches  long.  Draw  a  spiral  on  a  sheet  of  paper  as 
described  in  Chapter  V  so  that  the  inside  turn  of 
wire  is  about  %  inch  in  diameter,  the  outside  turn 
about  3%  inches  in  diameter  and  each  turn  of  wire 
will  be  separated  from  the  other  by  a  space  of  %  inch 
as  shown  at  B. 

With  your  round  nose  pliers  bend  each  length  of 
wire  like  the  pattern  you  drew  on  the  paper.  When 
you  have  made  the  spirals  screw  the  inside  end  of 
each  wire  in  the  binding  post  and  your  cathedral 
chimes  are  done  all  except  the  tuning  of  them. 

Let  the  first  spiral  of  the  upper  left  hand  side  give 
the  fundamental  tone  and  tune  the  others  to  it  by  cut- 
ting off  the  free  ends  of  the  wires  until  they  are  all 
tuned  in  unison.  Make  a  couple  of  wood  mallets  and 
cover  the  ends  with  leather  or  rawhide. 

How  to  Play  the  Cathedral  Chimes. —  Strike  the  in- 
side turn  of  wire  up  close  to  the  end  that  is  fastened 
to  the  binding  post,  and  a  tone  will  issue  from  the 
spiral  that  is  long,  deep  and  loud,  for  the  wire  with 
its  free  end  forms  a  very  perfect  vibrating  body. 

The  .ffiolian  Harp. —  How  to  Make  It. —  This 
harp  is  of  very  ancient  origin  and  it  gets  its  name 
from  JEolus  who,  in  classic  mythology,  was  the  father 
of  the  winds,  and  very  appropriately  is  it  named,  too, 
for  it  is  the  wind  that  plays  it. 

Make  a  box  of  %  inch  thick  wood,  2  inches  deep, 
5  inches  wide  and  3  feet  long;  use  clear  pine,  or  deal 
will  do,  for  the  sides  of  it  but  the  ends  should  be  of 


268 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


beech  to  hold  the  tuning  pins  and  the  hitch  pins.  Cut 
a  sound  hole  3  inches  in  diameter  near  both  ends  of  the 
board  which  is  to  be  used  for  the  top;  then  glue  the 
box  together  and  screw  up  the  ends  with  your  wood 
clamps  to  hold  it  together  tight  while  it  is  drying. 


TUNING  PINS 


FlG.   114.      THE  HARP  OF  AEOLUS 

When  it  is  thoroughly  dry,  drill  a  dozen  %  inch 
peg  holes  %  inch  deep  in  one  end,  six  in  a  row  as 
shown  at  A  in  Fig.  114.  Make  a  dozen  pegs  to  fit 
the  holes  and  these  should  have  wings  on  them  as 
shown  at  B  like  violin  pegs.  Each  peg  should  be 
about  i%  inches  long  and  each  one  should  have  a  %2 
inch  hole  drilled  near  the  top  of  the  shank  for  the  end 
of  the  string  to  pass  through.  The  hitch  pins  can  be 
brass  brads  driven  into  the  other  end  of  the  box  and  in 
a  line  with  the  holes,  all  of  which  is  shown  at  A. 

Make  two  bridges  of  hard  wood  Vs  inch  thick ;  have 
each  one  I  inch  high  and  5  inches  wide  and  with  12 
notches  cut  in  one  side.  Now  get  a  dozen  catgut 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS  269 

strings  of  different  thicknesses  and  put  them  on  the 
sounding  board;  to  do  this  twist  a  loop  on  the  end 
of  each  one;  thread  the  other  end  through  the  hole 
in  the  peg  and  tighten  it  up  a  little. 

When  you  have  all  of  the  strings  in  place  set  a 
bridge  under  each  end  and  then  tune  the  strings  in 
unison,  but  don't  stretch  the  strings  on  very  tight  or 
the  wind  won't  make  them  vibrate.  This  done,  cut 
out  another  %  inch  thick  pine  board  and  glue  a  block 
%  inch  square  and  i%  inches  long  to  each  corner  and 
set  it  on  top  of  the  harp.  The  purpose  of  this  cover 
is  to  make  the  wind  blow  with  as  much  force  as  pos- 
sible over  the  strings. 

How  the  Wind  Plays  It. —  To  the  end  that  old 
^Eolus  may  play  the  harp  to  the  best  of  his  ability  set 
it  on  the  sill  of  an  open  window  so  that  the  wind 
strikes  the  strings  at  a  slant.  Pull  the  window  down 
on  the  harp  in  order  to  make  all  of  the  wind  pass  be- 
tween the  cover  and  the  strings. 

When  the  wind  blows  softly  beautiful  tones  will  be 
emitted  and  when  the  wind  blows  hard  discords  will 
be  produced  but  as  the  wind  subsides  exquisite  har- 
monies will  again  prevail. 

An  Egyptian  Fiddle. —  How  to  Make  It. —  The 
early  Egyptians  invented  the  fiddle,  or  rebab  as  they 
called  it,  but  they  did  not  play  it  with  a  bow.  Later 
in  medieval  times,  that  is  in  about  the  Qth  century, 
this  riddle  came  to  be  called  a  rebec  and  it  was  then 
played  with  a  bow.  I'll  bet  though  that  the  fiddle  I 
shall  tell  you  how  to  make  and  play  sounds  better 


270  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

than  any  Egyptian  rebab  ever  made  —  though  it  is 
not  exactly  a  Stradivarius.110 

To  make  a  fiddle  of  this  kind  —  it  only  has  one 
string  and  only  one  is  needed  by  a  master  violinist  — 
make  a  sounding  box  of  Ys  or  %e  inch  thick  wood 
except  the  ends  which  should  be  of  %  inch  thick  stuff; 
this  box  should  be  4  inches  high,  6  inches  wide  at  one 
end,  8  inches  wide  at  the  other  end  and  12  inches 
long.  Cut  a  hole  6  inches  in  diameter  in  the  center 
of  the  board  which  you  are  going  to  use  for  the  sound- 
ing board,  and  then  glue  all  of  the  pieces  together 
using  wood  clamps  to  hold  them  tight. 

For  the  neck  take  a  stick  of  wood  i%  inches  wide, 
2%  inches  thick  and  15  inches  long;  cut  it  down  until 
one  end  is  I  inch  thick  and  cut  a  piece  out  of  this  end 
%  inch  wide  and  i  inch  deep;  bore  a  conical  hole 
through  this  end  and  fit  in  a  peg.  Next  saw  out  the 
other  end  2  inches  deep  for  a  length  of  3  inches  back 
and  glue  and  screw  this  end  of  the  neck  to  the  narrow 
end  of  the  box.  The  shape  of  the  neck  with  the  peg 
in  it  and  the  way  it  is  fixed  to  the  sounding  box  is 
clearly  shown  in  the  top  view  A  and  the  side  view  B 
in  Fig.  115. 

Cut  out  a  bridge  of  a  piece  of  hard  wood  Ys  inch 
thick,  i  inch  high  and  i  %  inches  long  as  shown  at  C ; 
and,  finally,  make  a  tail-piece  of  a  bit  of  hard  wood 
Ys  inch  thick  %  an  inch  wide  at  one  end,  i  inch  wide 

110  The  priceless  fiddles  made  by  the  famous  old  violin  maker 
Antonio  Stradivari  of  Cremona,  Italy,  in  the  early  part  of  the 
1 7th  century. 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 


271 


at  the  other  end  and  2  inches  long.  Drill  a  hole  in 
each  end  and  whittle  or  plane  the  large  end  to  a  sharp 
edge. 

In  the  middle  of  the  large  end  of  the  sounding  box 
bore  a  %  inch  hole  and  glue  in  a  hard  wood  peg  for 
a  hitch-pin.  Fasten  the  tail-piece  to  the  hitch-pin  with 
a  piece  of  catgut  string.  Slip  the  end  of  an  A  violin 
string  through  the  hole  in  the  sharp  end  of  the  tail- 


&QW 
FlG.    115.      PLANS    FOR    AN    EGYPTIAN    FIDDLE 

piece;  knot  it  to  keep  it  from  pulling  through,  and 
bring  the  other  end  up  and  thread  it  through  the  hole 
in  the  peg  in  the  neck.  Finally  put  the  bridge  under 
the  string  and  tighten  it  up.  Tune  it  to  the  treble,  or 
G  clef,  if  you  know  enough  about  music  to  do  it,  or  if 
not  tune  it  so  that  it  gives  a  pleasing  tone. 

How  to  Make  the  Bow. —  The  best  kind  of  wood 
to  make  a  violin  bow  of  is  Brazilian  lance-wood  or  of 


272  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

snake-wood,  but  for  this  one  stringed  fiddle  of  yours 
you  can  use  a  piece  of  beech. 

Take  a  strip  of  wood  %  an  inch  thick,  I  inch  wide 
and  24  inches  long  and  saw  it  out  as  shown  at  D ;  then 
round  up  the  stick  and  sandpaper  it  smooth.  Cut  out 
two  blocks  to  fit  the  ends,  or  frogs  as  they  are  called : 
drill  a  hole  in  each  one  and  screw  it  to  the  bow  but 
not  very  tight. 


FlG.   II5D.      HOW  THE  BOW   IS   MADE 


Now  comes  the  hard  part  and  that  is  putting  on  the 
hairs;  get  50  or  60  white  horsehairs  about  2  feet  long; 
I  do  not  advise  pulling  them  out  of  Dobbin's  tail  but 
rather  to  buy  a  bunch  of  them  from  Sears,  Roebuck, 
and  Co.,  Chicago,  111.,  for  10  or  20  cents. 

Having  got  them  somehow  put  one  end  of  each  one 
under  one  of  the  blocks  and  when  you  have  them  all 
even  and  close  together  screw  the  block  down  tight  ; 
this  done  fasten  the  other  ends  of  the  hairs  under  the 
opposite  block,  and  when  you  have  them  all  drawn  taut 
screw  down  the  block  and  put  a  little  glue  on  the  places 
where  they  go  under  the  blocks. 

If  you  will  look  at  a  horsehair  through  a  micro- 
scope you  will  see  that  it  seems  very  like  the  scroll  saw 
blade  I  told  you  about  in  the  second  chapter,  that  is, 


MUSICAL  INSTRUMENTS 


273 


it  has  a  lot  of  fine  teeth  on  it  and  all  of  them  run  the 
same  way.  By  rights  then  half  of  the  hairs  ought  to 
be  put  on  the  bow  with  the  teeth  running  in  one  direc- 
tion and  the  other  half  with  the  teeth  running  in  the 
other  direction  so  that  the  friction  of  the  hairs  is  the 
same  on  the  string  on  the  up  and  the  down  strokes. 


FlG.  USE.      HOW  THE  FIDDLE  IS  PLAYED 

Do  not  use  much  rosin  on  the  bow  but  rosin  it  often. 
You  can  buy  a  piece  of  regular  violin  bow  rosin  for 
5  cents  but  the  kind  that  gives  the  best  results  is  the 
genuine  Bernardel  imported  from  France  and  which 
costs  about  a  quarter.  It  bites  hard  on  the  string 
and  makes  a  large  volume  of  sound.  The  way  the 
fiddle  is  played  is  shown  at  E. 


CHAPTER  XII 
SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS 

THERE  is  a  feature  of  home  life  that  the  heads  of 
too  many  families  overlook  and  that  is  getting  together 
and  having  an  evening  of  entertainment  which  the 
youngest  as  well  as  the  oldest  member  can  enjoy. 

This  is  not  at  all  a  hard  thing  to  do  but  as  it  takes 
time  to  get  the  props  together  to  give  it  with  —  which 
neither  your  father  or  mother  can  well  spare  even  if 
they  had  the  inclination  —  it  is  up  to  you  as  the  boy 
of  the  family  to  see  that  it  is  done. 

It  is  a  noble  plan  to  give  a  divertisement,  or 
soiree  m  (pronounced  swa're)  as  the  old  time  magi- 
cians used  to  call  it,  once  every  month  and  you  will 
find  after  you  have  given  the  first  one  that  all  of  your 
folks  will  look  forward  to  the  coming  of  the  next  one 
with  interest  and  with  pleasure. 

Moreover,  you  should  let  them  know  what  the  next 
divertisement  is  to  be  a  couple  of  weeks  before  it 
comes  off  and  then  let  all  hands  join  in  and  talk  about 
it  whenever  the  spirit  moves  them.  Naturally  since 
you  know  all  about  it  and  they  don't  know  anything 

111  This  is  a  French  word  and  it  means  an  evening  social 
gathering. 

274 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     275 

about  it,  questions  will  be  in  order  and  you  are  the 
one  who  will  have  to  answer  them;  and  don't  try  to 
make  a  secret  of  anything  you  have  done  or  are  going 
to  do  unless  it  is  magic  or  some  allied  subject  of 
mystery.  After  the  divertisement  is  over  it  will  fur- 
nish food  for  conversation  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

Now  while  I  have  used  the  words  entertainment  and 
divertisement,  both  of  which  mean  about  the  same 
thing  and  that  is  amusement,  and  while  you  should 
always  strive  to  make  your  talks  as  light  and  recrea- 
tional as  you  can  you  do  not  need  to  stick  to  frothy 
subjects  altogether  but  instead  you  should  alternate 
them  with  scientific  demonstrations.  In  this  way  you 
will  not  only  please  and  develop  good  fellowship  in 
the  family,  but  you  will  instruct  the  members  of  it  at 
the  same  time. 

Finally,  don't  make  your  divertisements  too  long. 
Better  by  all  means  make  each  one  only  15  or  20  min- 
utes long  and  have  everybody  in  high  good  humor 
and  saying  that  it  was  all  too  short,  than  to  give  them 
an  hour  and  have  everybody  gappy  and  bored  half-to- 
death. 

Cartoons  While  You  Wait. —  This  is  a  good  fea- 
ture to  start  off  your  season's  divertisements  with. 
Make  a  substantial  easel  on  which  to  set  a  large  draw- 
ing board  as  shown  in  Fig.  116,  or  you  can  fasten  the 
paper  to  a  wall  with  thumb  tacks  if  you  live  in  a  home 
and  not  in  a  residence. 

Get  a  dozen  sheets  of  good  white  print  paper  —  you 
can  buy  a  quire  (24  sheets)  24x36  inches  for  25 


276 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


cents  —  and  tack  /^  a  dozen  sheets  to  your  drawing 
board  or  the  wall.  Also  buy  a  stick  of  black  marking 
crayon,112  which  is  better  than  chalk  or  charcoal  for 
it  makes  a  heavy  black  line  that  will  not  smut,  blur 
or  rub  off. 


FlG.    Il6.      HOW   AN   EASEL  IS    MADE 


Drawing  the  Cartoons. —  Start  in  with  your  crayon 
in  hand  and  explain  that  what  you  propose  to  do  is  to 
show  the  principles  upon  which  free-hand  drawing  is 
based.  Then  make  a  simple  line  drawing  of  the  boxer 

112  You  can  buy  a  marking  crayon  at  a  hardware  or  stationery 
store. 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    277 

reaching  for  the  maxillary  of  his  invisible  opponent 
as  shown  in  Fig.  42,  over  in  the  chapter  called  Draiv- 
ing  Simply  Explained,  and  then  draw  the  horse  gal- 
loping home  on  the  three-quarter  stretch. 

Next  draw  around  these  simple  line  figures,  which 
are  really  the  skeletons  of  the  man  and  beast,  the  out- 
lines as  shown  in  Fig.  43.  If  you  are  not  expert  in 
free  hand  drawing  you  can  trace  these  figures  on  the 
paper  in  faint  lines  with  a  lead-pencil  before  you  be- 
gin your  performance,  and  then  all  you  have  to  do  is 
to  mark  over  the  lines  with  the  crayon. 

After  you  have  made  these  drawings  and  explained 
all  about  them  tear  off  the  sheet  and  on  the  clean  one 
draw  the  outline  of  a  man  as  shown  in  Fig.  44  and 
mark  on  the  proportions  of  the  human  body.  Have 
your  next  sheet  ruled  off  into  squares  with  the  lines 
2  inches  apart ;  draw  in  the  face  and  at  the  same  time 
explain  that  this  makes  it  easy  for  any  one  to  get  the 
features  in  proportion. 

Now  comes  the  grand  finale 113  (pronounced 
fi-na'  le)  and  that  is  your  cartoons.11*  You  should 
practice  drawing  these  and  also  have  some  patter™ 
about  each  one  so  that  when  you  do  them  for  the 
family  audience  your  tongue  will  be  as  clever  as  your 
fingers.  You  can  begin  by  explaining  how  the  expres- 

113  The  last  part  of  an  exhibition  and  it  is  generally  the  climax 
of  it. 

114  A  cartoon  is  usually  a  caricature  of  a  person  or  thing  done 
in    sketchy   style.    The   word   comes    from   the   French   carton, 
which  means  pasteboard. 

115  Witty  or  amusing  talk  to  help  along  the  act. 


278  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

sions  of  one's  face  —  that  is  the  way  the  features  look 
when  the  mind  is  at  rest  or  is  excited  —  can  all  be 
represented  by  a  few  very  simple  lines. 

Draw  eight  circles  5  or  6  inches  in  diameter  in  a 
double  row  on  the  paper  with  your  marking  crayon 
as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  117.  Now  you  say  first  that 
sleep  can  be  represented  by  four  straight  horizontal 
lines  and  you  draw  them  as  shown  in  the  first  circle. 


FflST  ASLEEP  WIDEJMJK5  SOME  JOY    MORE  SORROW 


QUITE  MODEST  MUCHDISMIN  SOMEWHAT  A  LITTLE 
/?  SURPRISED      J1HGRY 

FlG.  II7A.      FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OF  CARTOONING 

Next  draw  four  vertical  lines  in  the  second  circle  and 
before  you  can  say  awake  your  little  audience  will  see 
it  and  laugh  its  approval. 

703;  is  represented  by  four  little  arcs,  or  curved 
lines  with  the  ends  of  each  pointing  up,  which  you 
draw  in  the  third  circle,  while  sorroiv  is,  of  course, 
shown  by  four  curved  lines  the  ends  of  which  point 
down  as  in  the  fourth  circle,  since  the  emotion  of  sor- 
row is  the  opposite  to  that  of  joy. 

Show  how  modesty  is  depicted  by  drawing  four  lit- 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    279 

tie  angles  in  the  fifth  circle  with  the  vertex,  or  point 
of  each  one  at  the  bottom,  while  disdain,  which  is  the 
reciprocal  of  modesty,  can  be  illustrated  in  the  sixth 
circle  by  reversing  the  positions  of  the  angles  and  hav- 
ing their  vertices  at  the  top. 

To  portray  surprise  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  draw 
four  little  circles  inside  the  seventh  large  circle  and 
you  will  have  caught  the  expression.  Finally  in  the 


BT  DELIGHT 
OF  DE  SILVERY 

MOOH 


H/SPO/PE 

c 


JOKE  $ 


FlG.   117  B,  C,  D.     THREE  SIMPLE  CARTOONS  THAT  YOU  CAN  DO 

eighth  circle  draw  two  slanting  lines  for  the  eyes,  a 
vertical  line  for  the  nose  and  an  angle  with  the  ends  of 
the  lines  pointed  down  and  you  will  have  a  very  good 
representation  of  anger,  (or  maybe  it's  a  Chinaman.) 

Now  without  my  telling  you  how  to  draw  the  car- 
toons shown  at  B  C  and  D  in  Fig.  117,  draw  each  one 
of  them  half  a  dozen  times  on  a  sheet  of  paper  with 
your  marking  crayon  and  when  you  get  before  your 


28o  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

audience  you  will  be  able  to  do  them  like  a  lightning 
crayon  artist. 

Thirty  Minutes  of  Chemistry. —  Here  are  some 
very  pretty  and  easily  made  experiments  in  chemistry 
and  as  you  perform  them  you  can  give  the  explanation 
I  have  written  about  each  one  which  will  serve  as  the 
patter. 

The  Mystic  Glass  of  Milk.—  The  Effect.— You 
show  a  glass  of  perfectly  clean  water  and  blow  through 


BEFORE  BLOWING  flFTER  BLOW/MG 
THROUGH  STRflW  THROUGH  STR/JW 

FlG.    Il8.     THE  ORACLE  OF  AMOR,  OR  ARE  YOU  IN   LOVE? 


it  with  a  glass  tube,  clay  pipe  or  a  straw  when  it  be- 
comes to  all  intents,  though  not  to  all  purposes,  milk 
of  the  cow  variety.  See  Fig.  118. 

The  Cause. —  To  perform  this  chemical  trick  get  50 
grams  of  good  quicklime  and  powder  it  in  a  pint  milk 
bottle.  Let  it  stand  for  24  hours  and  shake  it  every 
once  in  a  while.  Let  it  stand  another  24  hours  and 
then  pour  off  the  clear  solution,  which  is  called  lime 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     281 

water 116  and  this  is  the  common  name  of  mystic 
milk. 

The  Chemical  Action. —  In  the  first  place  the  lime 
in  the  water  is  calcium  hydroxide  and  when  you  blow 
through  the  lime  water  the  carbon  dioxide  in  your 
breath  acts  on  the  calcium  hydroxide  and  forms  a 
white  insoluble  powder  commonly  known  as  limestone. 

Since  the  calcium  carbonate  does  not  dissolve  in  the 
water  it  remains  suspended  in  the  solution  and  this 
gives  it  an  opalescent  hue  that  doth  verily  look  like 
the  lactic  fluid  which  is  white  but  woe  unto  the  milk- 
man who  sells  it  as  such. 

For  the  Fun  of  the  Thing. —  By  pretending  you  can 
tell  which  boys  and  which  girls  are  in  love  hand  around 
several  glasses  of  ordinary  water  and  as  many  of  clear 
lime  water.  You  must  see  to  it,  of  course,  that  those 
whom  you  want  to  make  believe  are  in  love  are  given 
the  lime  water;  then  have  everybody  blow  and  it  is  a 
sure  sign  that  those  who  change  the  water  into  milk 
are  in  love. 

The  Magic  Fountain.—  The  Effect.— You  show 
an  empty  bottle,  or  Florence  flask,  and  then  push  a 
cork  with  two  holes  in  it  into  the  mouth  of  the  bottle. 
Next  push  a  glass  tube  having  a  nozzle  on  one  end 
through  one  of  the  holes  in  the  cork  until  the  nozzle 
nearly  touches  the  bottom  of  the  bottle. 

Through  the  other  hole  in  the  cork  push  a  medicine 
dropper,  or  fountain  pen  filler.  The  end  of  the  long 
tube  projects  down  into  a  bowl  containing  water  which 

116  You  can  buy  it  in  a  drug  store  already  to  use. 


282 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


you  have  colored  blue  117  either  with  indigo  or  with 
copper  sulphate  or  you  can  make  a  beautiful  violet  by 
dissolving  in  it  a  little  potassium  permanganate.  The 
arrangement  of  the  apparatus  is  shown  at  A  in  Fig. 
119. 


FLPSK 


GL0SS  TUBE 
WITHHOZZLE 


TWOHOLE 
'RUBBER  STOPPER 


MEP/C/NE 
PROPPER 


FlG.  IIQA.      THE  MYSTIC  FOUNTAIN 

Now  when  you  squeeze  the  bulb  of  the  medicine 
dropper  the  colored  water  rushes  up  the  tube  and 
squirts  out  of  the  nozzle  into  a  pretty  fountain  until 
the  flask  is  nearly  full. 

The  Cause. —  Instead  of  the  bottle  being  empty  as 

117  Any  kind  of  colored  water  will  do  for  this  experiment. 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     283 

it  looks  to  be,  you  have  previously  filled  it  with 
hydrogen  chloride  gas  of  which  500  volumes  will  dis- 
solve in  i  volume  of  water. 

The  medicine  dropper  is  filled  with  water  and  when 
you  squeezed  it  a  few  drops  of  water  is  forced  into 
the  bottle  and  dissolves  a  large  part  of  the  gas  that 
is  in  it.  This  leaves  a  vacuum  when,  of  course,  the 
atmospheric  pressure  on  the  colored  water  in  the  bowl 
forces  it  up  through  the  nozzle  to  fill  the  vacuum. 


FUNNEL 


BOTTLE 

FlG.    II9B.      MAKING    HYDROGEN    CHLORIDE    GAS 


RUBBER  CONNECTION 
DELIVERY 'TUBE 


^-FLORENCE 

FLASK 
-HYDROGEN 
CHLORIDE  GflS 


This  water  dissolves  the  rest  of  the  gas  in  the  flask 
and  more  water  is  forced  up  until  the  bottle  is  nearly 
full  of  it,  all  of  which  produces  a  very  mysterious  and 
at  the  same  time  a  mighty  pretty  effect. 

How  to  Make  Hydrogen  Chloride  Gas. —  To  make 
this  gas  take  another  bottle  and  fit  a  two  hole  stopper 
into  it;  in  one  hole  put  a  funnel  and  in  the  other  an 
L  tube  as  shown  at  B  119. 

In  the  bottom  of  the  bottle  put  %  of  a  cup  of  com- 


284  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

mon  table  salt ;  put  a  straight  tube  down  into  the  Flor- 
ence flask  you  want  to  fill  and  connect  this  tube  and  the 
L  tube  with  a  piece  of  rubber  tube  as  is  also  shown 
atB. 

The  apparatus  set  up,  pour  sulphuric  acid  down  the 
funnel,  a  very  little  at  a  time  until  the  salt  is  all  gone 
and  then  fit  the  cork  with  the  long  nozzle  tube  and  the 
medicine  dropper  in  it,  into  the  mouth  of  the  bottle 
filled  with  the  hydrogen  chloride  gas. 

The  Vicious  Soap  Bubbles. —  The  Effect. —  Show 
a  dish  of  soap-suds  and  then  blow  bubbles  with  the 
apparatus  described  below. 

When  the  bubbles  take  on  a  size  of  about  3  inches 
in  diameter  shake  them  off  and  they  will  rise  slowly 
and  gracefully  in  the  air.  Before  they  get  out  of 
reach  touch  them  with  a  long  lighted  taper  and  they 
will  explode  viciously  with  a  sharp  report  like  that 
made  by  a  revolver. 

The  Cause. —  The  bubbles  are  filled  with  a  mixture 
of  hydrogen  gas  and  oxygen  gas  and  when  these  two 
gases  are  simply  mixed  they  form  a  very  explosive 
compound  which  is  called  detonating  gas. 

When  the  flame  is  brought  close  enough  to  the 
bubble  it  fires  the  gases  in  it,  and  they  explode  and 
combine  chemically  to  form  zvater.  The  apparatus 
necessary  to  do  this  experiment  with  is  shown  in  Fig. 
1 20. 

It  consists  of  (i)  a  hydrogen  gas  generator  and 
(2)  an  oxygen  gas  generator. 

The  hydrogen  bottle  or  flask  is  fitted  with  a  two 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    285 

hole  stopper  through  which  runs  a  glass  funnel  and 
an  L  tube  just  as  described  in  the  fountain  experiment 
and  shown  at  B  in  Fig.  119.  Connected  to  the  L  tube 
is  a  length  of  rubber  tubing  into  the  other  end  of  which 
another  L  tube  is  fitted. 

The  oxygen  bottle  or  flask  is  fitted  with  a  single 
hole  stopper  which  has  an  L  tube  running  through  it 
as  shown  at  B  in  Fig.  1 19.  Connected  to  the  L  tube  is 
fixed  another  length  of  rubber  tubing  and  in  the  free 


LONG  ROB-  v/ 
.BERTUBE 

RUBBER 
TUB£          BURNER     »  W/?XT/)P£R 


L  TUBES  CEM£NT- 
CDWtTH SEALING i 


FlG.   I2O.     THE  VICIOUS   SOAP  BUBBLES 

end  of  this  is  fixed  another  and  shorter  L  tube.  Now 
place  the  two  short  L  tubes  side  by  side  and  cement 
them  together  with  sealing  wax.  A  long  length  of 
rubber  tube  is  forced  on  over  the  ends  of  the  double 
tube  and,  finally,  a  clay  pipe  is  fitted  into  the  free  end 
of  the  rubber  tube,  all  of  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  120. 
Set  the  bottles  or  flasks  as  far  apart  as  possible  and 
in  the  hydrogen  bottle  put  a  handful  of  granulated 


286  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

zinc.  Dilute  hydrochloric  acid 118  is  poured  down 
the  funnel  on  the  zinc  when  hydrogen  will  be  set  free, 
or  generated  as  it  is  called. 

Put  a  small  handful  of  a  mixture  of  2  parts  of 
potassium  chlorate  and  i  part  of  manganese  dioxide, 
finely  powdered,  in  the  oxygen  bottle  and  then  set  a 
Bunsen  burner  under  it  when  it  will  give  off  oxygen. 
When  the  two  gases  leave  the  short  L  tubes  they  mix 
in  the  long  rubber  tube  and  by  the  time  they  reach  the 
clay  pipe  you  will  have  detonating  gas  all  right. 

Caution. —  Do  not  bring  a  flame  anywhere  near  the 
apparatus  and  as  a  further  precaution  wrap  a  thick 
towel  around  the  hydrogen  flask. 

The  bubbles  that  are  blown  rise  in  the  air  because 
both  the  hydrogen  and  the  oxygen  are  lighter  than  the 
air. 

The  Uncanny  Wheel. —  The  Effect. —  A  pitcher 
is  shown  full  of  emptiness  and  then  a  cardboard  wheel, 
4  inches  in  diameter,  with  buckets,  or  cones  i  inch  high 
and  %  inch  across  glued  to  the  rim  and  which  is 
mounted  on  a  wire  so  that  it  can  be  revolved,  is  passed 
for  examination. 

Placing  the  wheel  on  the  table  you  hold  the  empty 
pitcher  above  it  and  pour  out  nothing  on  it  when  the 
wheel  will  turn  round  just  as  though  you  were  pouring 
water  on  it.  It  is  indeed  uncanny.  The  idea  is  shown 
at  A  in  Fig.  121. 

The  Cause. —  But  it  is  all  canny  enough  when  you 

118  If  you  want  to  buy  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  ask  for  normal 
hydrochloric  acid. 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    287 

know  how  it  is  done.  While  the  pitcher  is  apparently 
empty  you  have,  forsooth,  previously  filled  it  with  a 
gas  called  carbon  dioxide.  This  gas  is  i%  times  as 
heavy  as  air. 

The  cardboard  wheel  does  not  move  in  the  air  be- 
cause the  latter  pushes  on  all  parts  of  it  equally. 
When,  however,  you  pour  the  carbon  dioxide  gas  on 


HOW  THE  UNCANNY 
WHEEL  IS  M/tDE 

FlG.    121.     THE   UNCANNY    WHEEL 

it  from  the  pitcher,  since  it  (the  gas)  is  heavier  than 
the  air  it  fills  the  little  buckets  and  makes  them 
heavier  just  as  surely  as  if  you  poured  water  on  them; 
and  hence  the  wheel  revolves. 

How  to  Make  Carbon  Dioxide  Gas. —  Take  a  per- 
fectly dry  bottle  or  flask  of  the  kind  shown  in  the 
fountain  experiment;  fit  it  with  a  single  hole  stopper 
and  push  a  glass  tube  through  it  until  it  nearly  touches 
the  bottom  as  pictured  at  B. 


288  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Set  the  bottle  at  a  slant  and  put  a  mixture  in  it  of 
equal  amounts  of  powdered  copper  oxide  (that  is 
cupric  oxide)  and  wood  charcoal  Heat  this  mixture 
over  a  Bunsen  burner  until  it  glows  and  for  a  few 
minutes  longer;  the  bottle  will  then  be  full  of  the 
carbon  dioxide  gas. 

Pour  it  into  a  glass  pitcher  and  put  a  sheet  of  glass 
over  it  to  keep  the  air  away  from  it  until  you  are 
ready  to  perform  the  uncanny  experiment. 

Giving  a  Travelogue. —  A  travelogue  is  simply  a 
talk  on  travel,  or  on  a  country,  illustrated  with  pictures 
of  some  kind. 

To  be  able  to  give  a  travel  talk  does  not  mean  riec- 
essarily  that  you  must  have  traveled  or  been  in  the 
country  you  are  going  to  tell  about  but  if  you  have 
done  neither,  it  does  mean  that  you  must  read  up 
on  it. 

To  do  this  get  several  good  books  on  whatever 
country  you  intend  to  talk  on,  read  them  carefully, 
and  then  outline  a  route  just  as  though  you  had  gone 
over  it  yourself,  but  this  must  of  course  conform  to 
the  pictures  you  can  get. 

Now  there  are  four  methods  you  can  follow  to 
show  a  series  of  pictures  and  you  can  make  your 
choice  according  to  the  amount  of  money  you  want  to 
invest  in  it. 

(i)  The  first  and  least  expensive  way  is  to  cut  a 
dozen  or  twenty  pictures  out  of  magazines,  arrange 
them  according  to  your  route  and  build  up  your  talk 
around  them.  As  you  describe  each  place  pass  the 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    289 

pictures,  which  should  be  mounted  on  cardboard,  in 
turn  to  each  person  present. 

(2)  A  better  way  is  to  get  a  set  of  stereographs  of 
the  trip  or  the  country  you  are  to  talk  on  and  a 
stereoscope  119  and  pass  the  picture  showing  the  view 
and  the  instrument  to  each  person  present. 

Each  stereograph,  as  the  picture  is  called,  is  formed 
of  two  pictures  of  the  same  scene  made  from  slightly 
different  viewpoints  and  when  the  observer  looks 
through  the  lenses  at  them  they  blend  into  one  image 
when  the  scene  stands  out  wonderfully  clear  and  ap- 
parently in  three  dimensions.  The  only  drawback  of 
the  stereoscope  as  an  aid  to  a  travel  talk  is  that  only 
one  person  can  look  at  a  picture  at  a  time. 

(3)  A   far  better  plan  than  either  of  the  above 
schemes  is  to  make  a  reflectoscope  12°  as  described  in 
the  chapter  called  Some  Kinks  in  Photography.     You 
can  show  any  kind  of  a  picture  in  a  reflectoscope  if  it  is 
not  larger  than  3x5  inches  but  picture  postcards  are 
especially  good  to  use  for  a  travelogue  or  a  talk  of 
any  kind  and  they  show  up  nicely  when  thrown  on  a 
screen  with  a  reflectoscope. 

(4)  Finally  either  make,  or  better,  if  you  can  afford 
it,  buy,  a  magic  lantern  121  that  will  take  the  regular 

110  A  stereoscope  and  the  stereograms  can  be  bought  from 
Underwood  and  Underwood,  417  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York,  or  Sears, 
Roebuck  and  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

120  You  can  buy  one  of  the  Busch  and  Lomb  Optical  Company, 
Rochester,  New  York,  and  you  can  get  post-card  views  for  it 
of  the  Post-Card  Store,  946  Broadway,  New  York. 

121  For  magic  lanterns  and  slides  address  the  Charles  Beseler 
Co.,  131  East  23rd  Street,  New  York. 


290  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

full  size  lantern  slides,  namely,  3%  x  4%  inches  square. 
Sets  of  lantern  slides  122  for  travelogues  or  talks  on 
any  subject  can  be  rented  cheaply  and  in  these  days  of 
cheap  electricity  you  can  throw  a  picture  on  the  screen 
so  big  and  bright  and  real  that  your  offering  is  bound 
to  be  a  success. 

An  Electrical  Soiree. —  Experiments  in  electricity 
are  always  interesting  to  all  however  young  or  old, 
for  of  all  the  powers  that  have  been  harnessed  by  man 
it  is  the  least  tangible  and  yet  the  effects  produced  by 
it  are  the  most  spectacular. 

Now  there  are  some  very  extraordinary  effects  that 
you  can  show  with  static  electricity  123  which  do  not 
require  apparatus  of  any  kind  as  you  will  presently 
see,  but  if  you  will  make  or  buy  a  Yz  inch  induction 
coil 124  you  can  perform  a  series  of  classic  experi- 
ments that  will  create  a  profound  and  lasting  impres- 
sion on  all  who  see  .them. 

Demonstrating  Electricity  Without  Apparatus. 
—  Did  you  ever  rub  a  cat  in  a  dark  room  in  the  winter 
and  see  the  sparks  fly  ?  Well  this  is  one  way  to  make 
electricity  without  apparatus  though  you  need  a  cat  m 
to  do  it  with. 

The  Electrified  Papers, —  But  you  can  make  a  lot 

122  Sets  of  lantern  slides  can  be  rented  of  the  Charles  Beseler 
Co.,  131  East  23rd  Street,  New  York  City. 

123  Many  experiments  with  static  electricity  will  be  found  in 
The  Book  of  Electricity  by  the  present  author  and  published  by 
D.  Appleton  and  Co. 

124  Complete  instructions  for  making  an  induction  coil  will  also 
be  found  in  The  Book  of  Electricity. 

125  A  cat  is  not  apparatus  but  only  a  kitten  growed  up. 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    291 

of  electricity  by  simply  rubbing  a  newspaper  if  you 
know  how  to  rub  it  and  it  is  perfectly  dry.126 

Tear  off  a  strip  of  newspaper,  lay  it  flat  on  a  table 
and  rub  it  with  your  finger  nails  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig. 
122.  When  you  try  to  take  the  paper  from  the  table 

/?• ELECTRIFYING  /?  STRIP 
OFNEWSPftPER 


8- £LECTR/C  ATTRACT/ON 

FlG.    122.     THE  ELECTRIFIED  PAPER 

you  will  find  that  it  sticks  to  it  quite  tenaciously.  This 
is  because  you  have  positively  electrified  the  paper 
when  you  rubbed  it  and  the  surface  of  the  table  under 
it  is  negatively  electrified  by  induction.121  Now  since 
positive  and  negative  electricity  attract  each  other,  the 
paper  and  the  table  are  pulled  together. 

126  Winter  is  the  best  time  to  do  experiments  in  static  elec- 
tricity. 

127  The  theory  of  induction  is  simply  explained  in  The  Book  of 
Electricity  by  the  present  author. 


292  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

How  to  Electrify  a  Person.128 —  This  is  an  experi- 
ment that  will  make  your  gathering  giggle  just  as 
school  girls  giggle  when  they  have  their  tintypes  taken 
—  that  is  without  any  real  reason  except  that  the  idea 
strikes  their  mental  funny  bones. 

To  perform  this  experiment  electrify  a  strip  of  news- 
paper as  above  and  then  hold  it  close  to  some  one's 
face;  instantly  there  will  be  a  mutual  attraction  be- 
tween them  and  the  paper  will  be  drawn  to  and  stick 
to  his  or  her  cheek.  Put  an  electrified  paper  on  the 
cheek  of  each  person  present  as  shown  at  B  and  tell 
them  they  belong  to  the  same  club.  This  will  get  a 
laugh  but  it  will  not  lessen  their  interest  in  the  ex- 
periment in  the  least. 

How  Like  Repels  Like. —  Electrify  two  strips  of 
newspaper  this  time  and  hold  them  together  by  the 
ends.  Instantly  the  free  ends  of  the  papers  will  fly 
apart  for  like  signs  of  electricity  repel  each  other. 

That  is,  since  both  strips  of  paper  are  positively 
electrified  and  hence  are  of  like  signs,  they  repel  each 
other.  If  they  were  negatively  electrified  they  would 
repel  each  other  just  the  same.  In  either  case  it  shows 
that  there  is  a.  force  acting  across  the  space  between 
the  two  strips  of  paper. 

Making  Experiments  With  Apparatus. —  With  a 
dry  battery  of  two  or  three  cells,  an  electric  bell,  a 
common  steel  magnet  and  an  electromagnet,  all  of 

128  Since  the  paper  is  positively  electrified  the  person  must  be 
negatively  electrified. 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    293 

which  you  can  easily  make  or  buy  m  for  a  dollar  or 
so,  you  can  provide  entertainment  enough  for  %  an 
hour's  demonstration,  and  food  for  thought  to  last  a 
year. 

The  Induction,  or  Spark  Coil. —  An  induction  coil 
is  an  apparatus  for  changing  a  direct  low  pressure, 
but  large  quantity  current  from  a  battery  into  an 
alternating  high  pressure  but  small  quantity  current, 
which  is  called  high  tension,  or  high  potential,  electric- 
ity. 

With  an  induction  coil  you  can  make  any  number 
of  wonderful  experiments  such  as  miniature  streaks  of 
lightning,  lighting  up  Geissler  tubes,  which  produce 
brilliant  and  beautiful  colors  showing  the  electric  dis- 
charge in  gases,  etc.,  etc.  By  fixing  these  tubes  to  a 
small  electric  motor  13°  so  that  they  can  be  revolved 
while  the  high  tension  current  is  passing  through 
them,  the  effects  are  further  heightened. 

Demonstrating  Wireless  Telegraphy. —  All  you  have 
to  do  to  make  your  induction  coil  into  a  wireless  trans- 
mitter, that  is,  the  sending  apparatus,  is  to  put  a  couple 
of  brass  balls  on  the  points  of  the  spark-gap,  fasten  a 
wire  to  one  of  them  and  the  other  end  to  a  nail  in  the 
wall  near  the  ceiling  and  then  connect  the  other  one 
with  a  wire  which  ends  in  a  small  sheet  of  brass  or 

129  The  L.  E.  Knott  Apparatus  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.,  and  The 
Manhattan   Electric   Co.,   Park  Row,   New  York,   sell  all  these 
things. 

130  A  small  electric  motor  can  be  bought  for  $1.00  of  any  dealer 
in  electrical  supplies  or  of  the  Manhattan  Electrical  Supply  Co., 
Park  Row,  New  York. 


294 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


copper  that  rests  on  the  floor  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig. 
123. 

To  make  a  receiver  that  will  tap  out  the  signals  you 
send  on  your  transmitter,  you  will  need  (a)  a  coherer, 
(b)  a  relay,  (c)  an  electric  bell  and  (d)  a  dry  cell. 
You  can  make  the  coherer  but  the  other  three  pieces 
of  the  apparatus  you  had  better  buy. 


BffTTERY 
THE  TRANSMITTER 

FlG.    123.      A    SIMPLE    WIRELESS    DEMONSTRATION    SET 

For  the  coherer  cut  off  a  piece  of  brass  rod  %  inch 
in  diameter  and  i%  inches  long,  file  the  ends  off  even 
and  slip  them  through  the  holes  in  the  binding  post. 
Put  a  pinch  of  nickel  and  silver  filings  into  a  piece  of 
glass  tubing  about  an  inch  long  and  push  the  ends  of 
the  rod  into  the  tube  with  the  filings  between  them. 

Screw  the  rods  into  a  couple  of  binding  posts  set  2 
inches  apart  on  a  block  as  shown  at  B  and  your  coherer 
is  done. 

Connect  up  the  coherer,  relay,  tapper  and  dry  cell 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     295 

on  a  board  as  shown  in  the  wiring  diagram  at  C; 
fasten  a  wire  to  one  of  the  rods  of  the  coherer  and  to 
a  nail  near  the  ceiling;  fix  a  wire  to  the  other  coherer 
rod  and  to  a  small  sheet  of  brass  or  copper  which  rests 
on  the  floor. 

B 


TO  GROUND 


TODRYC£LL  TO  RELAY 

FlG.   I23B.      CROSS   SECTION  OF  THE  COHERER   SHOWING  ITS 
CONSTRUCTION 

Now  when  you  press  the  key  or  button  of  the  sender, 
which  is  on  one  side  of  the  room,  the  bell  of  the  re- 
ceiver, which  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room,  will 
ring  out  a  signal.  The  fact  that  there  are  nc  wires 
connecting  the  sender  with  the  receiver  will  create 
much  wonder. 

The  theory  of  wireless  telegraphy  is  rather  deep  but 
you  will  find  it  simply  explained  in  my  Book  of  Wire- 
less published  by  D.  Appleton  and  Co.,  New  York 
City. 

Reading  Palms  for  Fun. —  Many  years  ago  when 
P.  T.  Barnum  was  exhibiting  a  sacred  white  elephant, 
which  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  small  Indian 
elephant  covered  with  whitewash,  and  the  good  folks 
were  breaking  their  necks  to  pay  their  hard-earned 
coin  to  see  it,  the  great  showman  remarked  that  "  the 
American  people  love  to  be  humbugged."  And  they 


296 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


do.  Now  palmistry  is  a  kind  of  mild  humbuggery  on 
a  small  scale  and  for  an  evening  of  fun  and  bunkum- 
squint  you  can't  find  anything  to  beat  it. 

First  of  all  there  are  three  words  that  are  con- 


FlG.    I24A.      THE   PARTS   OF   THE    HAND    NAMED   ACCORDING   TO 
SCIENCE 

stantly  used  in  the  art  which  you  must  know  how  to 
pronounce  correctly  or  you  will  surely  show  your 
ignorance.  The  first  is  palm,  pronounced  pom;  the 
second  is  palmist,  pronounced  pol'-mist,  and  the  third 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    297 

is  palmistry,  which  is  pronounced  pol '-mis-try ;  now 
be  sure  to  say  them  right. 

While  nearly  every  one  believes  in  palmistry  there 
is  nothing  in  it  in-so-far  as  it  is  possible  to  read  a  per- 


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FlG.  I24B.     THE  PARTS  OF  THE  HAND  NAMED  ACCORDING  TO  PALMISTRY 

son's  character  or  to  divine  one's  future  by  means  of 
it;  but  there  are  some  things  you  can  tell  from  the 
hand  you  are  reading  and  these  are  if  its  owner  is  or 
is  not  in  good  health  and  whether  the  brain  that  goes 


198  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

with  it  is  mechanically  inclined  or  is  of  an  artistic  tem- 
perament. 

Further  you  can  gather  —  not  from  the  hand  but 
from  the  face,  stature,  carriage,  and  mannerisms  of  the 
boy  or  girl  or  the  man  or  woman  whose  hand  you  are 
supposed  to  be  reading  —  a  good  deal  about  his  or  her 
temper  and  temperament  and  also  about  her  or  his 
foibles  and  peculiarities.  In  fact  the  palmistry  of  the 
palmists  is  simply  a  study  in  deduction,  very  much  a  la, 
Sherlock  Holmes,  of  the  person  as  a  whole,  and  it  is  by 
no  means  limited  to  an  investigation  of  the  hand  alone. 

How  to  Read  Palms. —  There  are  two  things  which 
you  should  learn  before  you  begin  to  read  palms  and 
these  are  (i)  the  names  of  the  different  parts  of  the 
hand,  and  (2)  the  lines  and  mounts  of  the  hand. 

The  names  given  and  the  corresponding  parts  of 
the  human  hand  are  shown  at  A  in  Fig  1 24 ;  these  are 
the  scientific  names  and  you  will  add  very  greatly  to 
your  stock  of  knowledge  to  get  them  down  by  heart. 

The  names  of  the  lines  and  the  mounts  of  the  hand 
are  given  and  shown  at  B  and  these  are  the  terms  that 
are  used  by  palmists.  You  will  observe  that  the 
eminences  are  called  mounts  and  these  are  named  after 
the  planets  of  the  solar  system,  for  the  ancients  sup- 
posed that  they  were  inter- related.  To  get  by  as  a 
palmist  it  goes  without  saying  that  you  must  have 
these  all  down  pat. 

To  find  out  what  kind  of  health  the  subject  is  in, 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     299 

grip  the  hypothcnar  eminence,  which  is  the  side  of  the 
hand  opposite  the  pollute,  or  thumb,  between  your 
thumb  and  fingers  and  squeeze  it  a  little;  if  it  is  per- 
fectly firm  and  the  palm  has  a  good  healthy  color  you 
are  quite  sure  that  its  owner  is  in  good  health,  but  if 
the  flesh  is  soft  and  is  not  elastic  and  if  the  palm  is 
pale  and  bloodless  you  will  be  quite  right  in  saying 
that  the  subject's  health  is  not  good,  nay  worse,  it  is 
even  bad,  and  you  will  not  offend  your  subject  by 
so  saying. 

The  length  of  the  life  line  is  supposed  to  determine 
how  long  the  subject  who  owns  it  will  live  but  even  if 
you  find  one  broken  off  short  never  tell  the  person  that 
he  or  she  will  live  only  a  short  time.  Indeed  to  be  a 
successful  palmist  tell  every  one  whose  hand  you  read 
that  she  or  he  will  live  to  be  anywhere  from  80  to 
108,  and  you'll  be  on  the  safe  side. 

The  line  of  the  heart,  according  to  palmistry,  in- 
dicates the  affections  and  passions  of  a  person.  Al- 
ways tell  a  fellow  that  he  is  a  great  lover  and  that 
he  is  constant,  but  you  can  say  to  a  girl  that  she  is 
capricious,  which  means  about  the  same  thing  as  being 
fickle,  and  both  the  man  and  the  maid  will  be  highly 
pleased.  The  line  of  Saturn  is  the  line  of  disposition 
and  you  must  always  make  the  subject  just  as  sweet 
and  angelic  as  possible  unless  you  want  her  to  break 
up  the  seance  132  then  and  there  and  hold  a  wake  to 
prove  you're  right. 

132  A  sitting  given  by  a  medium  or  a  palmist  is  called  a  seance 
(pronounced  say'ance). 


300  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

Apollo,  as  the  line  of  fortune  is  called,  is  a  good  one 
to  talk  at  length  on;  you  can  tell  every  subject  that  he 
or  she  has  had  bad  luck,  but  that  fortune  will  follow ; 
that  he  or  she  will  marry  a  pretty  girl,  or  a  handsome 
man  as  the  case  may  be,  live  in  New  York  if  already 
living  in  the  country  and  the  other  way  about  —  for 
everybody  wants  to  live  anywhere  except  the  place 
he  is  in  —  and  don't  forget  to  say  "  you'll  live  happily 
ever  after." 

Since  folks  will  foolishly  believe  in  palmistry  don't 
try  to  convince  them  to  the  contrary,  but  while  there  is 
nothing  in  it,  when  you  play  palmist  tell  them  only 
the  nice,  pleasant  things  and  you  will  then  be  doing 
them  a  real  service. 

Just  two  more  pointers  on  the  ignoble  art  of  palm- 
istry and  these  are  (i)  read  the  palms  of  each  one 
present  right  out  loud  before  the  whole  gathering,  and 
(2)  be  mighty  careful  that  the  single  girls  and  married 
ladies  do  not  switch  rings  and  so  lead  you  into  the  trap 
of  thinking  that  the  former  are  enjoying  a  state  of 
connubial  felicity  (whatever  state  133  that  may  be)  and 
that  the  latter  are  living  in  a  territory  134  of  single 
blessedness. 

A  Talk  on  the  Steam  Engine. —  For  your  final 
evening  entertainment  give  a  thumb-nail  lecture  on 
steam  and  the  steam-engine. 

You  will  find  every  one  is  interested  in  steam  be- 
cause it  is  one  of  the  great  prime  movers  but  there  are 

"3  Probably  Utah. 

"*  Most  likely  Arizona. 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS    301 

very  few  people  indeed  who  have  any  idea  of  how  a 
steam  engine  works. 

If  you  will  do  exactly  as  I  tell  you,  you  can  talk  on 
and  demonstrate  the  principles  of  a  steam  engine  so 
that,  whatever  the  age  of  your  listeners,  they  will 
know,  when  you  are  through,  exactly  how  and  why  a 
steam  engine  runs  and  develops  power. 

Making  the  Model  Engine. —  The  engine  I  shall  tell 
you  how  to  build  is  not  a  model  that  runs  by  steam,133 
but  one  made  almost  entirely  of  wood  and  the  purpose 
of  it  is  not  actually  to  produce  power  but  to  show  ex- 
actly how  it  works. 

To  the  end  that  this  may  be  done  the  cylinder  and 
steam  chest  are  split-down  the  middle  lengthwise  so 
that  the  inside  of  them  can  be  clearly  seen  and  the 
movements  and  functions  of  the  piston  and  the  slide 
valve  in  these  parts  will  be  clear. 

Make  the  cylinder  first  and  the  easiest  way  to  do 
it  is  to  saw  out  two  disks  of  wood  for  the  cylinder 
heads  of  %  inch  thick  stuff,  4%  inches  in  diameter  and 
bore  a  %G  inch  hole  through  the  center  of  one  of  them 
for  the  piston  to  slide  through,  as  shown  at  A,  C  and 
F  in  Fig.  125.  Turn,  or  whittle  out  a  piece  of  wood 
for  the  stuffing  box,136  i  inch  in  diameter  and  1A  inch 
long,  and  bore  a  %e  inch  hole  through  the  center  of  it 

135  How  to  build  model  steam  engines  and  all  other  kinds  is 
explained  in  my  new  book  Engine  Building  for  Boys,  published 
by  Small,  Maynard  and  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

136  A  stuffing  box  on  a  real  steam  engine  is  to  keep  the  steam 
in  the  cylinder  and  steam  chest  from  leaking  past  the  piston  rod 
and  the  slide  valve  rod. 


302 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     303 

and  glue  it  to  the  center  of  the  cylinder  head  so  that 
the  holes  are  exactly  in  a  line  as  shown  at  A  and  F. 

Next  saw  out  two  rings  of  /4  inch  thick  wood,  make 
the  outside  4%  inches  in  diameter  and  the  inside  3 
inches  in  diameter,  see  C,  and  glue  one  of  the  rings 
to  each  end  of  the  cylinder  heads.  Now  cut  out  of  a 
sheet  of  thin  cardboard,  or  better  of  tin,  a  piece  5% 
inches  wide  and  6  inches  long ;  cut  two  holes  %  an  inch 
in  diameter  and  have  the  center  of  each  hole  %  an  inch 
from  one  of  the  long  edges  and  %  inch  from  each  of 
the  short  edges  as  shown  at  D. 

The  next  thing  on  the  list  is  the  piston  and  the 
piston  rod.  For  the  piston,  saw  out  a  disk  of  wood 
3  inches  in  diameter  and  bore  a  %  inch  hole  through 
it  in  the  center.  The  piston  rod  is  simply  a  piece  of 
wood  %  an  inch  in  diameter  and  12  inches  long; 
cut  a  slot  in  one  end  Ys  inch  wide  and  %  an  inch 
deep  and  bore  a  M.6  inch  hole  through  it  as  shown  at 
C.  Put  the  piston  inside  of  the  cylinder,  slip  the 
piston  rod  through  the  hole  in  the  cylinder  head, 
smear  some  glue  on  the  end  of  it  and  fit  it  into  the 
hole  in  the  piston. 

The  steam  chest  is  next  in  order;  for  it  use  %Q  inch 
thick  wood  and  saw  out  four  pieces  2  inches  square; 
two  of  these  pieces  are  for  the  heads  of  the  steam 
chest,  as  shown  at  A  and  B,  and  in  the  center  of 
one  of  them  drill  a  %  inch  hole  for  the  slide  valve 
rod  to  go  through.  Turn,  or  whittle  out,  a  piece  of 
wood  for  the  stuffing  box  %  an  inch  in  diameter  and 
Yz  inch  long,  bore  a  %  inch  hole  through  the  center  of 


3°4 


HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 


it  and  glue  it  to  the  center  of  the  steam  chest  head 
that  has  the  hole  in  it  as  shown  at  A,  C  and  F. 

Saw  two  holes  i%  inches  square  out  of  the  other 
two  2  inch  square  blocks  and  glue  these  to  the  steam 
chest  heads.  Now  make  a  trough  of  %  inch  thick 
wood,  or  of  cardboard  or  tin,  1%  inches  square,  out- 

STfAM CHEST 

.  SUPfOKr 


GOES  HERE 

FlG.    I25B.      END  VIEW   OF  THE  ENGINE.      D.      THE  CRANK   SHAFT.     E. 
THE  ROCKER  ARM 

side  measurement,  and  2%  inches  long;  this  is  for  the 
sides  of  the  steam  chest;  as  shown  at  A  and  F. 

Bore  a  %  inch  hole  in  the  center  of  the  top  of  the 
trough ;  this  hole  is  for  the  intake  port,  that  is  the  open- 
ing through  which  the  steam  flows  from  the  boiler  into 
the  steam  chest.  Bore  three  %  inch  holes  in  a  line 
in  the  middle  of  the  bottom  of  the  trough  as  is  also 


305 


306  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

shown  at  A  and  F.  The  two  holes  nearest  the  ends 
are  the  ports  to  let  the  steam  into  and  out  of  the  op- 
posite ends  of  the  cylinder,  and  the  central  hole,  or 
port,  is  the  exhaust  port  C. 

Next  make  the  slide-valve;  use  %  inch  thick  wood 
and  make  it  %  inch  high,  I  inch  wide,  and  i%  inch 
long  on  top  and  2  inches  long  on  the  bottom;  the 
bottom,  as  you  will  observe  at  A  and  E,  is  cut  out 
so  that  it  will  cover  one  of  the  cylinder  ports  and 
the  exhaust  port  at  the  same  time  and  you  need  put 
only  one  side  on  it. 

The  slide  valve  rod  is  a  piece  of  wood  %  inch  in 
diameter  and  11%  inches  long.  Whittle  or  plane  one 
end  flat  and  drill  a  %  inch  hole  through  it.  This 
done,  set  the  slide  valve  in  the  steam  chest;  slip  the 
slide  valve  rod  through  the  head  and  glue  it  to  the 
slide  valve. 

Now  make  four  tubes  or  pipes  of  cardboard  or  tin  Yz 
an  inch  in  diameter,  and  have  two  of  them  i%  inches 
long  and  the  other  two  3  inches  long ;  when  you  have 
formed  all  of  them  cut  a  strip  %  inch  wide  out  of  each 
one  lengthwise;  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  show  that 
they  are  hollow. 

When  you  have  the  tubes  done  glue,  or  otherwise 
fix,  one  of  the  short  ones  into  the  intake  port  of  the 
steam  chest  and  the  other  short  one  into  the  middle, 
or  exhaust  port  in  the  bottom  of  the  steam  chest;  then 
glue,  or  fix  the  two  long  tubes  into  the  end  holes,  or 
ports,  of  the  steam  chest  and  the  holes  in  the  cylinders. 

Saw  out  a  guide  block  for  the  piston  rod  to  slide 


SOME  EVENING  ENTERTAINMENTS     307 

through,  2  inches  wide,  3  inches  high,  3  inches  long  on 
top  and  5  inches  long  on  the  bottom  as  shown  at  A 
and  C,  and  bore  a  %  inch  hole  through  the  middle  of 
the  top  of  it  lengthwise  so  that  the  center  of  the  hole 
will  be  exactly  2%  inches  from  the  base  line. 

Likewise  saw  out  a  guide  block  for  the  slide  valve 
rod  and  make  it  i  inch  wide,  2  inches  long  and  3% 
inches  high  and  drill  a  %  inch  hole  through  the  mid- 
dle of  the  top  of  it  lengthwise  so  that  the  center  of 
the  hole  will  be  exactly  2%  inches  from  the  back  board 
to  which  it  is  fixed. 

Next  cut  out  a  rocker  arm  of  a  %  inch  thick  piece 
of  wood  and  have  it  %  inch  wide  at  one  end,  % 
inch  wide  at  the  other  end  and  7  inches  long;  drill  a 
Ys  inch  hole  in  each  end  and  a  i%  hole  iV>  inches  from 
the  large  end;  pivot  the  small  end  to  the  end  of  the 
slide  valve  rod  with  a  machine  screw  having  a  nut  on 
the  end  of  it. 

Cut  out  an  eccentric  rod  %  inch  thick,  %  inch  wide 
and  8%  inches  long,  and  drill  a  %  inch  hole  at  each 
end  so  that  their  centers  will  be  exactly  8  inches  apart : 
pivot  one  end  of  this  rod  to  the  second  hole  in  the 
rocker  arm  with  a  machine  screw  as  before.  Saw, 
out  a  pivot  block  i  inch  square  and  drill  a  Ys  inch  hole 
through  the  center  of  it  and  pivot  the  lower  end  of 
the  rocker  arm  to  it  with  a  screw. 

Make  a  connecting  rod,  to  couple  the  piston  rod 
to  the  crankshaft  with,  %  inch  thick,  K>  an  inch  wide 
at  one  end,  %  inch  wide  at  the  other  end  and  9  inches 
long;  whittle  or  plane  down  the  small  end  so  that  it 


3o8          HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

will  fit  easily  into  the  slot  in  the  end  of  the  piston  rod 
and  drill  a  %  inch  hole  in  each  end  so  that  their 
centers  are  precisely  8%  inches  apart. 

The  crankshaft  can  be  made  of  a  piece  of  %  inch 
thick  wire  13  inches  long  which  must  be  bent  to  the 
exact  shape  shown  at  D;  before  it  is  thus  bent,  how- 
ever, slip  the  wire  through  the  hole  in  the  end  of  the 
eccentric  rod  and  then  bend  the  crank  on  it. 

Saw  out  a  flywheel  of  %  inch  thick  wood,  8  inches 
in  diameter,  drill  a  %  inch  hole  through  its  center  and 
force  it  on  over  the  wire  forming  the  crankshaft;  then 
slip  the  end  of  the  connecting  rod  on  the  other  end  of 
the  crankshaft  wire  and  bend  it  to  form  a  crank. 

The  front  end  of  the  crankshaft  must  be  supported 
by  a  pillow  block  just  as  it  is  in  a  real  engine,  but  the 
rear  end  is  held  in  place  by  a  board  screwed  to  the 
back  of  the  base.  This  block  is  %  an  inch  thick,  i 
inch  wide  at  the  top,  2  inches  wide  at  the  bottom  and 
3  inches  high;  drill  a  %  inch  hole  in  the  top  of  it 
exactly  2%  inches  from  the  base  line  and  slip  this 
over  the  end  of  the  crankshaft  next  to  the  connecting 
rod. 

The  last  thing  to  be  done  is  to  make  a  base  to 
mount  the  parts  of  the  engine  on;  this  is  a  sort  of  a 
shelf  and  it  is  built  up  of  a  board  %  inch  thick,  6  inches 
wide  and  3 1  inches  long  for  the  base.  Saw  a  slot  in  it 
%  inch  wide  and  9  inches  long  in  one  corner,  2  inches 
from  one  end  and  %  an  inch  from  the  side ;  this  is  for 
the  fly-wheel  to  set  in. 

Screw  a  back  to  it  %  an  inch  thick,  10  inches  wide 


309 


310  HANDICRAFT  FOR  BOYS 

and  3  inches  long;  this  must  be  perfectly  rigid  and  if 
necessary  you  can  brace  it  with  angle  blocks.  Finally 
glue  four  legs  i  inch  square  and  2%  inches  long  on 
the  corners  of  the  base-board. 

To  put  the  engine  together,  or  assemble  it  as  it  is 
called,  screw  the  cylinder  to  the  base-board,  then  glue 
or  screw  the  piston  rod  guide  block  to  the  base;  the 
slide  valve  rod  guide  block  to  the  back  board,  and  the 
pivot  block  for  the  rocker  arm  to  the  base-board. 

Drill  a  Vs  inch  hole  in  the  back  board  2%  inches  up 
from  the  base-board  exactly  16%  inches  from  the 
front  cylinder  head ;  put  one  end  of  the  crankshaft  in 
the  hole  and  slip  the  other  end  of  it  into  the  pillow 
block;  see  that  all  is  in  a  line  and  that  the  flywheel 
clears  the  sides  of  the  slot  in  the  base-board.  Then 
it  is  all  done  and  will  look  like  F. 

How  the  Engine  Works. —  Now  if  you  will  turn 
the  flywheel  around  with  your  hand,  or  better,  belt  a 
small  electric  motor  to  it,  you  will  see  exactly  how  the 
slide  valve  opens  first  one  port  in  the  cylinder  and  then 
the  other  and  that  when  the  port  is  open  which  gives 
a  clear  path  for  the  steam  to  flow  from  the  steam 
chest  to  the  cylinder,  the  other  port  is  connected  to  the 
exhaust  pipe,  when  the  used  steam  passes  into  the 
open  air. 

When  you  know  all  aoout  it  you  are  then  ready  to 
give  your  last  evening  divertisement  and  for  the  time 
being  to  say  Good-by. 

THE   END 


INDEX 


Acid  etching  on  glass,  222 
Aeolian  harp,  267 
Alcohol  lamp,  52,  60,  209 

How  to  make  an,  52 
Alloys : 

Brass,  67 

Pewter,  66,  68,  93 

Solders,  66,  72 

Type  metal,  66,  68 

Useful,  67 
Aluminum,  67 

Arkansas  carving  tool  slip,  46 
Art   of   working  glass,  202 
Auger  bits,  carpenter's  6,  13 
Automobile  truck,  to  make  an, 
228 


Badges,  how  to  make,  192-196 
Barnum,  P.  T.,  295 
Bellows  for  blow  pipe,  217 
Bench,    how    to    make    a    car- 
penter's, 20. 
Bent  iron  work,  Venetian.  See 

Venetian  bent  iron  work 
Bismuth,  95 
Blow   pipe   for  glass  blowing, 

214 

Blue  prints,  how  to  make,  131 
Bluing  steel,  74 

Brass,  74 

Bohemian  glass,  203 
Bolts  and  rivets,  72 
Bookbinding,  179-181 
"  Book  of  Electricity,"  290 
"  Book  of  Wireless,"  295 
Brace  and  bits,  carpenter's,  6,  9 
Brass,  67 

How  to  blue,  74 

To  color,  74 


Brass — continued. 

To  dull,  74 

To  frost,  75 

Stencils,  198-200 
Bromide  photo  paper,  142 
Bunsen  burner,  60,  209 
Burning  brand,  how  to  make  a, 
196 

Cabinet  making,  1-23 
Calipers,  spring,  57,  62 
Cameras,  135-140^ 
Camouflage  photographs,   154 
Candle  shade,  pierced  brass,  91 
Candlestick,    how    to    make    a 

repousse,  87 
Carbon    dioxide    gas,    how    to 

make,  287 

Carbon  impressions,  123 
Carborundum  oil  stone,  63 
Cards  for  printing,  175 
Caricature  photographs,  155 
Carpenter's  tools : 

Brace  and  auger  bits,  6,  9 

Chisels,  4,  9 

Gimlets,  6,  n 

Gouges,  4,  9 

Hammer,  2,  8 

How  to  sharpen,  12,  13 

How  to  use,  8-12 

Liquid  glue,  7,  II 

Mallet,  2 

Miter  box,  4 

Nail  set,  6,  10 

Oil  can,  7 

Planes,  4,  9 

Rule,  6,  10 

Saws,  2,  8 

Screw  drivers,  6 

Screws,  6,  10,  n 


311 


312 


INDEX 


Carpenter's   tools  —  continued. 

To  etch  your  name  on,  14 

To  remove  rust  from,  14 

Try-square,  6 

Washita  oil-stone,  7 
Carpenter's    work    bench,   how 
to  make  a,  20 

Tool  chest,  22 
Carpentry  work,  1-23 

Woods  for,  15-17 
Cartoons,  275-278 
Carver's  washita  oil  stone,  46 
Carving  tool  slip,  46 
Carving  wood,  24,  44-51 
Casting  pewter,  93,  97 
Cathedral  chimes,  268 
Cellulose,  176 
Cement  for  glass,  224 
Center  punch,  machinist's,  57,  61 
Chase,  putting  type  in  use,  170 
Chemistry,  280 

Chest,  how  to  make  a  tool,  22 
Chimes,  Cathedral,  265 
Chip  carving,  47 
Chisels,  4,  9 

Circle,  how  to  draw  a,  119 
Clamps,    carpenter's,   6;    wood 

carver's,  46 
Cleaning  metals,  89 
Coaster,  to  make  a,  231 
Coins,  musical,  253 
Coherer,  to  make  a,  294 
Colored  glass,  203 
Coloring    metals,    73,    74,    81 ; 

wood,  54 
Colors,  printing  in,  174;  stencil, 

201 
Companion       wood       turning 

lathe,  37 

Compasses  for  drawing,  112 
Composing    stand,    167;    stick, 

162-169 

Contact  printing.,  photo,  132 
Copper,  66 
Copygraph,  how  to  make  and 

use,  189-191 
Cricket  scroll  saw,  30 
Cutting  pliers,  57,  60 


Dancing    Sambo,    to    make    a, 

243 

Dark  room,  136 
Dead  black  for  iron,  a,  81 
Decalcomania,  128 
Decorative  stencils,  199-201 
Design,  how  to  burn  in  a,  53 
Design  on  wood,  how  to  trace 

a,  29 
Designs   for   scroll  sawing,  30 

For  Venetian  bent  iron  work, 

96 
Developer  for  dry  plates,  137 

for  bromide  paper,  143 
Diamond  glass  cutters,  203 
Die  sinking,  192,  193 
Dies,   screw  cutting  taps  and, 

57,  62 
Dividers : 

Spring,  57,  61 

For  drawing,   112 
Disston  saws,  2 
Drawing : 

Free-hand,   103 

Life  models,  104 

Still  life,  104,  107 

Human   figure,    105-108 

Perspective,  108 

How  to  find  vanishing  point, 
109-111 

How  to  shade,  m 

Isometric  perspective  ellipse, 
118 

Circle,  119 

Spiral,  120 

Plain  ellipse,  121 . 

With  a  pantagraph,   121 

Cartoons,  275 
Drawings : 

For  carpentry  work,   19 

For  metal  work,  68 

Working,  in 

Isometric  perspective,  116 

Tracings  of,  124 
Drawing  board,   113 

Reflecting,   123 
Drawing  paper,  113 
Drawing  tools,  112,  113 


INDEX 


313 


Drill  attachment  for  scroll  saw, 

Drill  stock,  57,  60 

Twist,  28 

Drills,  Morse  twist,  57,  61 
Dry  plates,  136,  137 

For  lantern  slides,  151 

Easel,  how  to  make  an,  276 
Ebony  stain  for  wood,  55 
Egg  boiler,  Venetian  iron,  79 
Egyptian  rebec,  269 
Electrical  evening,  an,  290 
Electrical  experiments,  292 
Electricity: 

Demonstrating    without    ap- 
paratus, 290 

Static,  291 

Induction  or  spark  coil,  292 
Electrified  papers,  290 
Electrify  a  person,  how  to,  292 
Ellipse,  how  to  draw  an,  118, 

121 

Engraver's  wax,  101 
Engraving  on  metal,  99 
Engraving  tools,  99 
Engine  building  for  boys,  301 
Enlarging  apparatus,  photo,  140 
Entertainments,  274 

Cartoons,   276 

Chemistry,  280 

Travelogue,  287 

Electricity,  290 

Wireless  telegraphy,  293 

Palmistry,  295 

Steam  engine,  300 
Etching  glass,  219,  222 
Etching  tool,  how  to  make  an, 

Etching  your  name  on  tools.  14 
Excelsior  printing  presses,  158 
Experiments  in  chemistry,  280 
In  electricity,  290 

Fahrenheit  thermometer  scale, 

65 
Fiddle,  an  Egyptian,  209 


Files:   for  scroll  sawyers,  28 
For  machinists,  57,  62 

Figure  carving,  51 

Finger  and  hand  prints,  125 

Fixing  bath,  how  to  make  a, 
134 

Flint  glass,  203 

Fluxes,  for  soldering,  71 

Fret  sawing,  See  Scroll  saw- 
ing 

Fumed  oak,  55 

Gimlets,  carpenter's,  6,  II 
Glass : 

Art  of  working,  202-226 

How  made,  202 

How  to  cut,  203 

To  drill  holes  in,  206 

Blow  pipe  for,  214,  215 

Bellows  for,  217 

How' to  etch,  219,  222 

To  make  ground,  222 

To  cement,  224 

To  frost,  224 

Substitutes  for,  225 

To  silver,  226 

Glass  bulb,  how  to  blow  a,  215 
Glass  cutters,  203,  204,  208 
Glass  disks,  how  to  cut,  208 
Glass  edges,  to  finish  off,  206 
Glass  nozzle,  how  to  make,  212 
Glass  tubing,  how  to  cut,  207 

To  bend,  209 

To  round  the  ends  of,  21 1 

To  seal,  211 

To  pierce,  213 

To  join,  213 
Glasses,  musical,  253 
Glue,  how  to  make  and  use,  II 
Glue  pot,  how  to  make  a,  II 
Gold,  printing  in,  175 
Goodyear  Rubber  Co.,  183 
Goose,  to  make  a  life-like,  241 
Gouges,  carpenter's,  4 
Graflex  camera,  140 
Gravers,  99 

Ground  glass,  to  make,  222 
Gutenburg,  Johanne,  157 


INDEX 


Hack  saw,  57,  60 
Hammers,  carpenter's,  2,  8 
Scroll  sawyers,  29 
Machinist's,  57,  60 
Hand,  parts  of  the  human,  298 
Hand  and  finger  prints,   125 
Hand    inlaid    printing    presses, 

IS7 

Hand  made  paper,  176 
Hand  saws,  carpenter's,  2 
Hand    screws,    carpenter's,    6, 

10 

Hand  scroll  saw  table,  27 
Hardware  for   scroll   sawyers; 

Harp,  the  tubular,  258 
Hectograph,   See   Copygraph 
Hershel,  Sir  John,  153 
Horse,  how  to  make  a  stick, 

237 

Hieroglyphics,  202 
Hydrogen  chloride  gas,  how  to 

make,  283 

Imposing  stone,  120 
Ink: 

India,  113 

Printing,  173 

For  rubber  stamp,  189 

For  copygraph,  191 

For  stencils,  200 
Ink  rollers,  173 

Ink  pads  for  rubber  stamps,  188 
"  Inventing  for  Boys,"  1 19 
Iron: 

Wrought,  64 

Steel,  64 

How  to  color  a  dead  black, 

81 
Iron  work,  Venetian  bent,  See 

Venetian  bent  iron  work 
Isometric     perspective     draw- 
ings, 116 

Ellipses,  118 
Isometric  ruled  paper,  116 

Jeweler's  saw  frame,  57 
Saws,  60 


Jig  sawing,  See  Scroll  sawing 
Job  printing,  172 
Joining,  Sec  Carpentry 
Joints,  edge  and  corner,  wood, 

17 

Metal,  70 
Justifying,  169 

Kodaks,  139 

Lacquer,  how  to  make  and  use, 

75 

Lantern  slides,  139,  150,  151 
Lathe  for  wood  turners,  37 
Lead,  65,  93 
Lead  glass,  203 
Lead  pencils  for  drawing,  113 
Lenses,  photo,  140 
Lignum  vitae  mallets,  46 

Magic  fountain,  281 

Magic    lantern,    how    to    make 

and  operate,   148-150 
Magic  photographs,  153 
Magic  of  science,  209 
Mallet,  carpenter's,  2 
Machinist's    tools,    See    Metal 

working  tools 

Markers  for  wood  carvers,  46 
Marking  gauge,  carpenter's,  6, 

10 

Metal,  engraving,  99 
Metals : 

Their  uses,  64 

How  to  solder,  71 

Iron,  64 

Tin,  64 

Lead,  65 

Zinc,  65 

Copper,  66 

Type-metal,  66,  68 

Brass,  67 

Aluminum,  67 

Pewter,  68,  94 

Bismuth,  95 
Metal  work: 

Tools  for,  57-63 

Drawing  plans  for,  68 


INDEX 


315 


Metal  work  —  continued 
Sheet,  69 

Seams   and  joints,  70 
Bolts  and  rivets  for,  72 
Solders  for,  72 
Bending,  73 
Coloring,  73-83 
Cleaning  and  polishing,  89 
Pierced,  90 
Miter  box,  4 
Molds : 

For  casting  pewter,  97 
For  paper  making,  177 
For  rubber  stamps,  185 
"  Money  Making  for  Boys,"  1*7 
Moresco  stencil  color,  201 
Morse  twist  drills,  57,  61 
Mounting  rubber  stamps,   188 
Musical     instruments,     home- 
made: 

Coins,  253,  254 
Tomato  cans,  254-256 
Glasses,  256,  257 
Tubular  harp,  258-260 
Push  pipe,  260-262 
Xylophone,  263,  264 
Tubaphone,  264,  265 
Cathedral  chimes,  265-267 
Aeolian  harp,  267-269 
Egyptian  fiddle,  269-273 
Mystic  glass  of  milk,  280 

Nail  set,  carpenter's,  6,  10 
Nails  and  screws,  how  to  drive, 

ii 
Nitrogen  lamps,  141 

Oil  can,  carpenter's,  7 
Oil  stone,  carpenter's,  7 
Machinist's,  63 

Palmistry  for  fun,  295-297 
Panel  carving,  50 
Pantagraph,  to  make  and  use 

a,  121 
Paper : 

Blue  print,  132 

Photographic,   133,  142 

For  job  printing,  175 


Paper  making,  176-179 
Paper  stencils,  198 
Patter,  277 
Pattern  making,  95 
Perspective,  see  Drawing 
Pewter,  66 

How  to  make,  94 

To  work,  95 

To  cast,  95 

Solder  for,  95 

Patterns  for,  95 

To  make  a  mold  for,  97 
Pewter  ware,  finishing,  98 
Photo  frame,  a  repousse,  88 
Photography : 

Blue  prints,  131 

Contact  printing,  132 

Silver  prints,  133 

Papers,   133 

Fixing  bath,  133 

Toning  solution,  134 

Dark  room,  136 

Developer,  137 

Dry  plates,  137 

Cameras,  138-140 

Lenses,  140 

Enlargements,   140-144 

Radium,  151 

Skiagraphs,  151 

Trick,  153 

Camouflage,  154 

Caricature,  155 
Pierced  metal  work,  90-93 
Planes,  carpenter's,  4,  9,  12 
Plaster  of  Paris,  184 
Plate  holder,  a  Venetian  iron,  81 
Pliers  for  scroll  sawyers,  28 
Policeman's  puzzle,  to  make  a, 

227 
Polishing  metal  work,  89 

German  silver,  195 
Pony  and  cart,  to  make  a,  239 
Post  card  store,  289 
Press,  See  Printing  press 
Printing : 

Kinds  of  presses,  157 

Outfit  needed,  161 

Composing  stick,  162,  169 


316 


INDEX 


Printing  —  continued 

Composing  stand,  167 

Imposing  stone,  169 

Chase  for  press,  169 

Making  ready,  172 

Ink,  173 

Ink  rollers,  174 

In  colors,  174 

In  gold,  175 

Stock   supply,    175 

See  also  Type 
Printing  presses : 

Kinds,  157,  158 

Sizes  and  prices,  160 

How  worked,  160 
Prints,  photo,  133 
Protractors  for  drawing,   113 
Pulp  for  paper,  176 
Push  pipe,  musical,  260 
Pyrography,  51-53 

Radioactive  substances,  152 
Radiographs,   152 
Radium  photographs,  151 
Rag  engine,  177 
Reflecting  drawing  board,  123 
Reflectoscope,  145-147 
Repousse  work,  84-88 
Rivets  and  bolts,  72 
Robinson  Crusoe,  I 
Rosin  for  fiddle  bows,  273 
Rubber  stamps: 

How  to  make  and  use,  183- 
188 

Ink  pads,  188 

Inks,  189 

Rule,  carpenter's,  6,  10 
Ruling  pens  for  drawing,  1 12 
Russel  Jennings'  auger  bits,  6 
Rust  on  tools,  removing,  14 

Sand  blast  process,  219 
Saw: 

Carpenter's,  2,  8,  12 

Disston,  2 

Hack,  57 

Jeweler's,  57,  60 


Sconce,  a  Venetian  iron,  82 
Screw    cutting   taps    and    dies, 

57,  62 
Screw  drivers : 

Carpenter's,  6 

Machinist's,  60,  63 
Screws,  how  to  drive,  n 
Scroll  sawing,  24-37 

Designs  for,  29,  30 

Woods  to  use,  36 
Scroll  saws: 

Hand,  25 

Foot-power,  30-35 

Cricket,  30 

Lester,  32 

Fleetwood,  33 
Scroll  sawyer's  tools,  27-29 

Designs,  30 

Hardware,  37 
Seams  in  metal  work,  70 
Self-inking  printing  presses,  158 
Sharpening  tools,  63 
Shellac  varnish,  96,  197 
Shears,  tinner's,  57,  60 
Sheet  metal  work,  See  Metal 

work,  70 
Silhouettes,  126 
Silvering  glass,  226 
Silver  prints,  photo,  133 
Sketching,  see  Drawing 
Skiagraphs,  151 
Snibs  for  wood  carvers,  46 
Soap  bubbles,  vicious,  284 
Soiree,  a,  274 
Solder,  60,  66,  72 
Soldering  metals,  71 
Spark  coil,  292 
Spirit  photographs,  153 
Spinning  coins,  Virgil's  theory 

of,  254 

Spiral,  how  to  draw  a,  120 
Staining  wood,  54,  55 
Stanley  planes,  4 
Steam  engine,  300-310 
Steel,  64 

How  to  blue,  74 

Letters  and  figures,  193 

Glass  cutters,  203 


INDEX 


Steel  rule,  machinist's,  57,  61 
Steel  square,  machinist's,  57,  61 
Stencils,  198-201 
Stencil  inks,  how  to  make,  200, 

201 

Stereoscope,  289 
Stereographs,  289 
Stereoptican,  151 
Stradivari,  Antonio,  270 
Swing,  to  make  a,  235 

Taps  and  dies,  screw  cutting, 

57,  62 

Thermometer     scale,     Fahren- 
heit, 65 

Theory  of  spinning  coins,  254 
Thumb  tacks,  113 
Tin,  65 
Tin-foil,  65 

Turner's  snips,  57,  60,  63 
Toaster,  a  Venetian  iron,  78 
Tomato  cans,  musical,  255 
Toning  photo  prints,  133,  134 
Tool  chest,  how  to  make  a,  22 
Tools : 

Carpenter's,   see   Carpenter's 
tools 

Woodworking,  2 

Wood  turning,  40 

Metal  working,  57-63 

Venetian  bent  iron  work,  76 

Repousse  work,  84 

Engraving,  99 

Drawing,  112 
Toys,  how  to  make: 

Policeman's  puzzle,  227 

Automobile  truck,  228 

Wheelbarrow,  231 

Coaster,  231 

Swing,  235 

Stick  horse,  237 

Pony  and  cart,  239 

Goose,  241 

Dancing  Sambo,  243 

Wireless  pup,  245 
Tracings,  how  to  make,  124 
Transfer  pictures,  128 
Travelogue,  giving  a,  287 


Triangle  for  drawing,  113 
Trick  photography,  153 
Try  square,  carpenter's,  6 
T  square  for  drawing,   113 
T  tube,  how  to  make,  213 
Tubaphone,  the  peculiar,  264 
Turning  lathe,  scroll  saw,  33 
Turning  wood,  24,  37,  41-43 
Turning  tools  for  wood,  40 
Type: 

Styles  of,  163-166 

Cases,  167 

How  to  set,  169 

How  to  distribute,  173 

How  to  clean,  173 

See  also  Printing 
Type  form,  how  to  lock  up,  171 
Type-metal,  66 

Uncanny  wheel,  286 

Venetian  bent  iron  work,  76-84 

Toaster,  78 

Egg  boiler,  79 

Plate  holder,  81 
Vulcanizing  rubber,  186,  187 
Vise,  carpenter's,  21 

Wood  carver's,  46 

Machinist's,  60 

Washita  oil-stone   for  carpen- 
ters, 7 
For  carvers,  46 

Washita  slip  stone,  13 

Watch  holder,  how  to  carve  a, 
48 

Wheelbarrow,  to  make  a  nifty, 

233 

Wireless  pup,  to  make  a,  245 
Wireless  set,  to  make  a,  293 
Wireless     telegraphy,     demon- 
strating, 293 
Wood: 

How  to  turn,  41 

Coloring  and  staining,  54,  55 
Wood  burning,  24 

See  also  Pyrography 
Wood  carver's  tools,  44-46 


INDEX 


Wood  carving,  24,  44-51 
Wood  filler,  how  to  make,  II 
Wood  turning,  24,  37 

Lathe  for,  37-40 

Tools,  40,  41 
Woods : 

For  carpentry,  15 

For  scroll  sawing,  36 

For  carving,  47 
Woodworking  joints,  17 
Woodworking  tools,  See  Car- 
penter's tools 


Work  bench,  how  to  make  a, 
20 

Working  drawings: 
For  carpentry,  18 
How  to  make  plan,  115 
Isometric   perspective,    116 
See  also  Drawings 

Xylophone,  curious,  263 
Zinc,  65 


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